Not Just a Princess: Ellimere's Tale
by Valentine's Riddle
Summary: - "You royals are too melodramatic for me, Princess" - Follow the story of our favourite Princess during Lirael and Abhorsen. Her brother may call her "Slavedriver", but there's more to Ellimere- socialite, warrior and ruler- than meets the eye. R&R!
1. Chapter 1: The Perimeter

**A/N - Well, here it finally is, my first chaptered Nix fic! Thanks for the great reviews I got for my oneshots, they inspired me to write this. I hope you enjoy, and to fans of JPMD, don't worry, I'm not abandoning it, Chapter 18 will be heading your way soon, and I'll probably be doing a D/G fic after that!! **

**This isn't going to be hugely long, don't expect a day-by-day account of an entire year! It should be about 10 Chapters and 30,000 words. Riddle Xx**

**Not Just A Princess: Ellimere's Tale**

**CHAPTER 1**

It was the end of a fine, summer's day, and, at the Perimeter, a girl sat perched on a hard metal bench with her back to the door of a communication's trench. She was a very pretty girl, with long, shining black hair and a pale complexion, and deep blue eyes. Her cheeks were lightly dusted with freckles, courtesy of a term's worth of the bright summer sun and plenty of outdoors sports. The girl sat upright, her posture perfect, the only movement her hair as it was gently tossed by the evening breeze coming from the sea, seemingly unaware of the interest with which she was viewed by tourists- who trained their binoculars on her from the required distance- and soldiers- whose interest was rather less academic- alike. She wore leather breeches designed for riding, well-worn boots with a sensible low heel, and a red-and-gold striped waistcoat cinched in over a white blouse that set off her dark hair perfectly. By her side was a battered leather knapsack embroidered on the front with the Royal emblem, though the golden thread had faded to a pale yellow-brown. Next to it was a sword whose magical origins were clear in the light of the late afternoon sun, and a set of saddlebags containing all those possessions that never left her side- her books, letters, and other seemingly worthless items, like the little glass snowglobe that her brother had given her for her last birthday- a crude representation of the Palace in silver wire, with little flakes of gold paper tumbling around it like autumn leaves. She reached for it and shook it, watching the golden lights dance in crazy patterns not unlike Charter Marks, and then replaced it in its bag silently when she saw a soldier looking at her curiously.

Half an hour later, Ellimere still sat quietly, waiting for her passport to be approved and an escort of Perimeter Guards to be arranged. The Perimeter certainly wasn't the most attractive of places, but Ellimere had a way of seeing the beauty in almost everything, and passed the time admiring the shadows cast by the sun through the mess of tangled wire that marked the scarred and pockmarked lines of trenches. She sighed. She couldn't remember it taking this long before, but then, the last few years had been difficult around the Borderlands.

She remembered her father's last letter, and reached her hand into her pocket to check it over for the thousandth time. She smoothed out the crumpled paper, and touched her fingers to her own Charter Mark, which flashed brilliantly just as the sun sank over the horizon, and was answered by the Mark on the paper. Then she heard her father's voice, near and close; and behind him she could discern sounds that marked him as recording this letter on the balcony of his chambers, which overlooked the parade grounds. Her own bedroom, high up on the North Tower, had a rather more distant view and she and her maid often watched practises in the evenings, sharing their views of all the young Guardsmen, though they knew it wasn't their place to look- Ellimere's status, for the most part, was too high for them, her country-born maid's was too low. She suddenly felt a wave of homesickness for both Wyverley College and Belisaere, as her father spoke into her ear.

"Ellimere, dear, I'm sorry I wasn't able to see you during the... Easter... holidays" Ellimere smiled- her father still had problems with certain Ancelstierran concepts, religion being one of them. "Your mother and I both wish we could see you more often. However, I shall soon see you, as this summer you will be at home and ready to help your mother and me in running the Kingdom.

"I know a letter isn't the best way to tell you this, but when you come back, I would like to hold the ceremony that will elevate you to the official status of both Regent, in my absence, with Jall Oren until you have the hang of it, of course, and more importantly, Heir Apparent. This will mean a lot more responsibility and work on your part, so we'll discuss it when you get back, but I wanted you to hear it from me first, and have some time to get used to the idea. If I have time, I will take some time out from duties in Belisaere to pick you up myself.

"I want you to promise me you'll be careful on the journey, Ellie. There has been trouble around the Borderlands for the last few years, not only from the token Dead and Free Magic creatures, but from bandits and looters too. Keep yourself out of trouble, and keep yourself armed. I know you can take perfectly good care of yourself, but you know how I worry. See you soon."

Ellimere felt rather than heard her father's smile as his letter ended, and, for the thousandth time, smiled to herself as she put it back in her pocket.

"Err... your highness?" it was a young lieutenant, of the age that always seemed to get flustered in the face of a pretty, dark-eyed, exotic-looking Princess- even one who looked as though she was dressed for stable duty.

"Yes, that's me" said Ellimere, smiling at him.

"Your brother has just arrived, and General Marsh will want to talk to you, a formality-"

"Yes, yes" said Ellimere. "I know General Marsh. Would you be kind enough to show me down?" The lieutenant was blushing furiously by know, and Ellimere suppressed a smirk. She and Sam would always have a good laugh when Ellimere tried her charm tactics on the soldiers of the Perimeter. She felt a little sad as she realised that this was her last such journey.

The formalities were over quickly after that, and Sam grinned as Ellimere flirted outrageously with every junior officer that they came across, the men reacting with different degrees of nervousness, shock, and roguishness. General Marsh, an old friend of their mother's who had known them since childhood, shook his head with a smile and ordered the Scouts into formation.

"How many guards are escorting us to Barhedrin?" said Ellimere, smoothly taking authority as she usually did, without even noticing that she was doing it. It was the quality that caused her father to bring her out into society (as his protector, he claimed) before she had even reached her twelfth birthday, and the quality that coined Sameth's childhood nickname for her- "Slavedriver". She didn't much mind. It was better than "Prince Ellimere", anyway, at least in her opinion. After all, she could hardly _help _it that she was so much better at fighting than her brother. She was just highly competitive.

"Four, your Highness" said Marsh, with familiar respect. "All highly ranked, naturally, and all of your retinue at the Palace, for security. Forty soldiers including eight Mages will join you at Barhedrin to escort you to Belisaere via Abhorsen's House" he inclined his head to Sameth, who looked like he had swallowed a lemon all of a sudden.

"And the planned route?" said Ellimere, not leaving out a detail, as usual.

"From Barhedrin, the usual route will be taken to Abhorsen's House via the Old North Road. We have ordered the Qyrre ferry to take our company to the town itself, and then a full complement of six guard boats will escort you up the Ratterlin to Chasel, where the second complement of Royal Guards will be waiting. After a rest day, the procession will continue under Royal colours due east to Aunden, and then the normal route will be taken north to Orchyre, where the King's Guard will join us approximately three days later. The procession will then proceed as normal to Belisaere through the High Gate" Ellimere nodded.

"Thank you. May we proceed, General?" she caught the familiar twinkle in Marsh's eyes as she resumed her normal courtly tone in front of the two sergeant-majors who had just come within earshot.

"Certainly, your Highness" said Marsh, following her lead. "FARTHAM!" he barked suddenly, and a nervous-looking young man with the pips of a second lieutenant dashed out of a trench to their left.

"Escort Princess Ellimere to the Crossing Point"

Lieutenant Fartham stepped nervously up to Ellimere and performed the traditional salute of the Kingdom faultlessly, which made Ellimere lessen her haughty stare just a tiny bit out of approval and smile at him. He managed a tiny smile back, just before Marsh barked "EYES UP FRONT, LIEUTENANT!" causing Fartham to jump and avert his eyes for the rest of the two hundred and fifty yards that he was required to walk with her.

* * *

"To his credit, though" said Sam that evening, when the pair were repairing to their chambers in the Barhedrin Guard base. "He managed to ignore the wolf-whistles"

"Sergeant Greer" said Ellimere "deserves a good Princess put-down! Perhaps a fake letter of dismissal from Nick's uncle? Could you fake it for me?" Sam grinned and bade her goodnight. Ellimere smiled to herself. Though the pair didn't have much in common, their sense of humour was identical, and she hoped that Sam's bitterness over her powerful position and the favouritism shown to her by her father- even she freely admitted it- had abated slightly since they had last seen each other.

She settled into the rock-hard bed with a sigh- it was extremely uncomfortable, but she knew that the guards themselves were far worse off and so picked a clean shirt out of her pack and arranged it so that it took the weight off her shoulders slightly.

"Ellimere! I _thought_ someone said you had arrived!" said a voice at the door and Ellimere's head snapped up. Not because it had made her jump- which it had, although she would never admit it- but because there were only a select few people who would dare to open her door without knocking, and the woman at the door was one of them.

"Tonin!" she squeaked, but the tall guardswoman hurriedly shushed her.

"I'm not supposed to be here, I'm supposed to be doing paperwork" she whispered, "but what's more important, bandits or cocoa?" Ellimere giggled and accepted the tankard her old friend handed her with gratitude, then patted the bed next to her. Tonin sat down, arranging her sword so that it didn't poke her or Ellimere in the leg, and grimaced.

"This is even worse than my sleeping mat!"

"I know!" said Ellimere, smiling. She was delighted to see Tonin- undoubtedly one of her closest friends, the two of them had started weapons training with the Guard at the same time, and Ellimere appreciated Tonin's quick wit and snappy observations when she was bored at the Palace. With her waist-length curly brown hair and freckles, Tonin certainly didn't look the part of a warrior, but appearances were deceiving. Tonin had risen quickly through the lower ranks of the Guards and was the youngest female ever to receive the honour of serving in both the Belisaere Trained Bands and the Belisaere Guard at the same time. Though she could be rather blunt and insensitive at times, Ellimere respected and liked her, and the thought of the weeks of walking suddenly seemed rather more bearable.

"It's good to see you! Will you be at home permanently now you've finished school? Archery practise isn't the same without you trying to distract me!" Tonin pulled off her helmet and the red and gold shawl that held her hair back, and rubbed her temples with a sigh.

"Yes, if all goes as planned, though Dad talked about sending me as the Ancelstierran Ambassador when tensions die down a bit."

"Sounds like a riot"

"Oh, naturally. What a fascinating life I do lead. So how have you been, anyway? Are you still permanently based at the Palace?"

"Yes, but I do some duties down at Qyrre and High Gate when they need extra security. Recently it's been quite hectic, really, we're being moved around all over the place. The King has ordered an entire company in High Bridge to dedicate itself just to training new recruits, you know; Johen was furious. He asked to be transferred to the Palace permanently."

"Ever charming, he is" smiled Ellimere. Tonin's brother wasn't known for keeping quiet when he was annoyed "On what grounds did he seek the move?" Tonin smirked.

"He said, and I quote: 'If you think you're saddling me with babysitting duty for the next five years, you are very much mistaken. _Sir_.'" Ellimere snorted with laughter. "He consented to three months of duty down there training someone to take his place"

"Someone he wanted to avoid in Belisaere, I assume" said Ellimere with a laugh. "Johen isn't known for his sensitivity, is he?" Tonin grinned.

"There are rumours that a nobleman's daughter had taken a shine to him and he wanted to avoid her angry father after a certain incident at the Midsummer Festival."

"That _definitely _sounds like your brother. How did his commander take it?"

"I think he found it quite funny. In any case, he could hardly complain, as he had requested to be transferred to Belisaere from Roble's Town after that incident with the necromancer."

"They probably just both missed the Belisaere brothels!" said Ellimere, wrinkling her nose at the thought of the lacking morals of most of the Guardsmen she knew. Tonin grinned.

"It wouldn't surprise me. How Johen manages to spend half his time in the Silver Stilken and _still _be ranked higher to me I can't fathom"

"You're talking to a girl who became second-highest ranked in the Guard as soon as she came of age" pointed out Ellimere. "I'd be a huge hypocrite if I agreed!" Tonin laughed and then stiffened as she heard footsteps outside the door. "Sergeant Liddell" she whispered. "I have to go, I'll see you tomorrow, we'll talk then" Ellimere nodded, her mouth full of scorching cocoa, and smiled. Tonin gave her shoulder a squeeze and left the room. It was the closest the two had ever got to a hug- she confided everything to the guard, but it seemed Tonin hadn't quite got over the barriers between royalty and servants yet. Ellimere wasn't quite comfortable with the idea either. Not for the first time, she wished she had a sister, or a cousin, someone her own age she could be completely normal around. The life of someone as unusual as her was extremely isolating.

She found it difficult to sleep that night. It wasn't the regular role-calls, or the tramping of many boots as patrols entered and left the tower, or even the shrieks of message eagles flying past her window- all that happened far more regularly at the Palace. It was the sense she felt, of isolation. She felt as if she were caught between two versions of herself, the innocent Ancelstierre schoolgirl, and the warrior Princess, who would traverse the Kingdom to protect her domain. She wasn't quite sure whether she liked either idea, and sat late into the night, watching the flickering of the Guard's fires and listening to the quiet rumbling of their voices, until finally exhaustion lulled her into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**You like? R&R if you do!**


	2. Chapter 2: Home Again

**A/N- Thank you so much to Lilox Honnach, Spellspinner777 and Eowyn Shadeslayer for their great reviews and advice! I hope you like Chapter 2!**

**CHAPTER 2**

"Damn it!" said Ellimere, ignoring the smirk Cynel and Tonin shared at the Ancelstierran expression. "I'm so rusty!" she was getting more and more aggravated at her swordwork, and was finding it very difficult to focus after the months she had spent in Ancelstierre without training. For the second time in a row she had fallen for Tonin's feint and her sword- thankfully only a poor practise blade- had gone flying out of her hands. Huffing, she tugged angrily at the strands of sweaty black hair that had worked free of their leather cords. Catching her hand, Tonin deftly twisted her hair into a long braid, before knotting it and securing it with a headscarf. Ellimere felt much better without the mass of hot, sticky hair hanging down her back, but still felt annoyed.

"Stop getting so _angry_" said Cynel, brushing her mop of short fair hair out of her eyes. "You're usually so collected. Just take a deep breath, and try to clear your head, to get in the right frame of-"

"Hey, Princess. Being beaten by my sister, I see?" Ellimere glared daggers at Johen, in the gentlest way possible.

"She's had five months more training than I have"

"So she has" said Johen, with a condescending smile.

"I wouldn't!" warned Ellimere, "or it'll be back to High Bridge for you!" Tonin's brother scowled as his sister, her friend and the Heir Apparent all exchanged knowing smiles. He was several years older than the three girls, and rather more highly ranked in the Guard than his sister- a Palace Watchman to her ranking of Belisaere Guardswoman, although thanks to Ellimere's favour she had been allowed off of some of the town's less favourable duties, such as stints in Winding Post or Boom Hook. He looked similar to his sister, although his brown hair was several shades darker as were his blue eyes, and he was several inches taller. He, like Tonin and many of the Guards, had adopted Ellimere as some sort of unofficial family member, and therefore felt entirely comfortable mocking her at every possible opportunity.

"Touché, Princess. May I enquire as to your wellbeing?"

"Well, thank you" she said with a smile.

"Mind if I join you?" he said to the girls, and they nodded, Tonin moving forward to a fighting stance. Soon, the two siblings were battling it out- a little _too _viciously, Ellimere thought.

"Here" said Cynel. "Let's do some work with the doubles, that's your strongest fighting stance, isn't it?" she was referring to the double swords Touchstone had introduced to the Trained Bands. It wasn't a common skill, but Cynel was one of those who Ellimere often practised with. She nodded, and picked up her practise doubles. Slightly curved, and lighter than the heavier single blade, she held them out, at an angle, to the side. Cynel picked up her own swords, and, cautiously at first, the two began to practise several patterns of attack and defence. Almost like a dance, Ellimere struggled at first to remember the positions and various changes between attack and defence, and the complicated footwork that went with it, but soon her years of training came back to her and she could do it almost without thinking. Whilst attacking with one sword, her other would come forward in a sweeping movement, which Cynel would block, and then bring both swords in flat from the side. 

Ellimere would then bring hers together up the front of her body, blocking Cynel's blades at the last minute, and then the two would repeat the move, with Cynel in attack, and then follow it with another stance, all the while stepping back, forward, pivoting around the one in defence... Soon the pair was sweating heavily in their thick leather tunics, and their blades began to move faster as Ellimere's confidence came back to her. Soon they had finished the basics and began to move on to mock fighting.

"Your Highness!" barked a voice from the courtyard balcony. Ellimere jumped and swore quietly, the three guards smirking as Cynel managed to wrench both swords out of Ellimere's hands while she looked up, distracted. Johen nodded to his sister and Cynel, grinned at Ellimere, and melted out of sight. It was Jall Oren, one of King Touchstone's senior advisors, an utter perfectionist, who disapproved of Johen's cavalier attitude to decorum around the females of the Palace, and his frequent jaunts into Belisaere only to return to the barracks raving drunk in the middle of the night. Ellimere knew she got a good deal when it came to Jall's nagging- she wouldn't like to be Sam- but it grated on her nonetheless. "Your father would like to see you in the Reception Room"

"Now?"

"Well" he eyed her with distaste. "After you've _washed_"

Ellimere took the hint, thanked Tonin and Cynel for the practise session, and sprinted for the North Tower. Her chambers took half of the second-topmost floor, the top floor being the Observatory, used by the Palace Watchman and their commander, and she had a birds' eye view of Belisaere and part of the Kingdom, but it was most inconvenient when one was in a hurry to have to sprint up a seemingly never-ending spiral staircase.

She finally, thanks to the help of her maid Kasha, made it to the door of her father's audience chamber, washed and freshly dressed in a red and gold tabard over her Guard's uniform, her long black plait pinned in a twisted loop around her head, entwined with several velvet ribbons. One of her father's secretaries motioned for her to go in, and she stuck her head around the door.

"Dad?" she said, and her father looked up from his armchair by the fire and smiled, motioning for her to sit and putting away the letter he was reading.

"Morning, Ellie. I didn't wake you?"

"Of course not" laughed Ellimere.

"Yes, how could I forget, it's Sameth who would sleep until noon if you let him. Archery practise?"

"Swordwork, with Tonin and Cynel" said Ellimere.

"Ah, of course. You look very nice" Ellimere smiled and fiddled with her plait self-consciously.

"Kasha thinks that I need to step up my beauty regime now I'm of age" she said, shuddering at the thought of any kind of beauty regime. Personally, she felt that if a man couldn't love her in dirty breeches, he couldn't love her at all, but Kasha loved nothing more than to dress her mistress up like a Princess. Ellimere felt like a life-size ragdoll. "What was it you wanted me for?" Touchstone sat up from adjusting the fire and turned to face her, taking one of her kidskin-gloved hands in his own.

"You got my letter, I know, and I thought I would just check how you felt about-" there was a knock on the door and Jall Oren entered, in his judicial robes of white and gray- black being reserved for royalty.

"I hope I am not interrupting, Your Majesty? I was told to fetch Princess Ellimere, she is needed to oversee the new plans for the jousting field" Touchstone nodded. He had let it be known that all the plans for the palace renovations, especially those that concerned the Guard, could be overseen by his daughter. This let him concentrate on more important matters of state, and freed up some of his time to spend with his family.

"I was just going to inform Ellimere of her new duties, Jall" he said, beckoning him closer. "I might as well tell you now. I am going to elevate Ellimere to official status of Heir Apparent and Co-Regent, with you, in any cases of my absence." Jall Oren nodded- it was commonly expected, now that the Princess had finished school, that King Touchstone would make such a move. Ellimere was popular in the Palace and with the people and nobles of Belisaere especially, and such a move would be well received.

"Of course, your Majesty. If I may say; an excellent decision"

"Well, it was a decision that made itself, really, and widely expected" said Touchstone, waving aside Jall's compliment. Ellimere sat nervously, trying to keep her back straight as her Etiquette teacher had always insisted.

"I won't keep you long, Ellie, there's not much that needs changing: for now, your duties at Petty Court every other day will be the same. But I now want you to oversee the Changing of the Guard every other evening, and I want you to oversee the Guards in the North Tower, which will mean meetings with Lord Symann each evening."

"Symann is the new Tower Guardsman?" said Jall.

"Yes, he's Tonin and Johen's eldest brother" said Ellimere. "Am I to oversee the Guards for the entire Palace, then, Dad? As the Palace Guardsman is the most senior figure in residence?"

"Under normal circumstances" said Touchstone, noticing his daughter's nervousness at the face of such a huge task, but proud she had realised this for herself. "Of course, if any difficulties arise, I will advise you. But I think it best that you get used to commanding the Guard as soon as possible, because there may come a time in the next few years when I need you to take the reins for a while, so to speak, and I think it best you and those you command are comfortable with the arrangement." Jall was nodding in approval, and Ellimere swallowed, before nodding. "I will continue to oversee the Guards outside the Palace, of course, but I think it best if you put in an appearance once in a while, and perhaps start training with some of the higher-ranked Guardsmen when your other duties permit"

"Of course" said Ellimere.

"I also think it might be a good idea for you to select a couple of Maids-in-Waiting," said Touchstone. "It will be expected for you to be escorted properly to the city and suchlike, and I'm sure it will make things easier for you. You won't need Ladies-in-Waiting until you marry or are crowned, of course, 

and you won't be appointing any gentry-women just yet, you can choose out of our existing Palace employees, but I think we may as well start the process now."

Ellimere nodded, although she was rather apprehensive - she hadn't missed Touchstone's casual reference to marriage, and that was a lot for her to do. Touchstone knew this, and smiled.

"Don't worry, Ellimere. You are more than capable of twice as much as this, and don't forget that after tomorrow you won't have to spend so much time rehearsing for the Midsummer dance, will you? That will make things easier, although you seem to be doing very well. I'm sure Jall will give you as much help as he can."

"Of course, Your Majesty" said Jall, giving a rare smile to Ellimere and bowing his head. "Come to me if you need anything, Princess Ellimere, I'll be more than happy to help" Ellimere gave a sigh of relief, knowing that Jall would help her made the tasks she had been given a little less daunting, and got up to follow Jall to the parade grounds.

"Oh, Ellimere, one more thing..." said Touchstone and Ellimere turned around with an exhausted sigh. She had a feeling this wouldn't be good.

* * *

"A _ball_, Kasha" said Ellimere, with an exhausted moan. "A welcoming ball, with a feast in my honour. And he invited every single debutante and young noble Belisaere had to offer. The former all wanted to talk to me, and the latter all wanted to dance with me. It's past the third hour of the morning, and I haven't even eaten anything because I've done so many reels I feel _nauseous_"

"Don't fear, milady" said Kasha, with a smile, patting Ellimere on the arm. "We'll feed you up and send you off to bed. And it's Midsummer tomorrow, so you can have a nice long lie-in before you need to get ready for the festivities"

"Oh, of course" said Ellimere, with a groan. "I'm sorry I'm disturbing all the preparations. You don't usually have to work in the kitchens, do you? I must be getting in the way"

"Don't worry about us, Princess Ellimere" said a kitchen boy, handing her a small, round loaf of fresh bread and some figs, and then giving one to Kasha as well. "We don't mind. We'd be working all night anyway."

"Thank you" said Ellimere. "I'm sorry; I don't recall your name"

"You wouldn't" said the boy- well, more young man, really, he was probably about Sam's age- smiling and bowing. "We've never met, your Highness. I'm Dirin. Apprenticed to Master Wynn, the head pastry chef, but I pretty much do jobs for everyone in the kitchens" Ellimere nodded.

"You're from Chasel, aren't you?" she said, taking in the slight burr of his accent.

"That obvious, is it, milady?" he said with a smile. "You eat up; I must be off to help Mistress Farley with the appetizers. I swear they'll be the death of me. I'm most looking forward to your dance tomorrow"

"You're the prettiest Harvest Maiden in _years_" said Kasha, with a happy smile. Ellimere smiled too, thanked Dirin again, and watched him scurry off between the rows of tables, ovens and wine-racks to the forbidding Mistress Farley, who promptly gave him a cuff on the ear and handed him a tray of half-completed salmon pancakes that looked like it could feed the whole Kingdom. He grinned at Kasha and Ellimere and promptly whipped out two huge carving knives and started chopping cucumber so fast that his hands seemed to blur. The two girls watched them in silence for a few minutes, and Kasha turned to find Ellimere half-asleep, having eaten Dirin's bread in less than a minute.

"Come along, milady" she said, taking Ellimere's plate over to the scullery window. "Let's get you up to bed. We don't want you passing out in the middle of the Festival, now"

"Okay" said Ellimere, splashing her face in the cistern to wake herself up. "Sorry, Kasha; I'll go up by myself. You have a lot of work to do."

"Don't be silly, milady, of course I'll take you up," said Kasha, smiling. "I don't mind, I usually have a lot of work to do" She took Ellimere's hand and led her to the doorway of the kitchen.

"Well, hello, ladies." said a voice to their left. Ellimere turned to see a young nobleman she had noticed at dinner, seemingly about to turn into the kitchen. "Why, Princess Ellimere! It seems that great minds think alike." He walked up to them and bowed. He was taller than her, with dark blond hair and deep blue eyes, and a bright, easy smile. She felt a slight jolt in the pit of her stomach, and her heart sank. She did _not_ need this. Kasha smirked at her.

"Good evening, Lord...?"

"Rouen." said the young man, smiling. "We didn't get a chance to talk at dinner, and I haven't had the honour of meeting you before. I only arrived in Belisaere this winter, to run my father's house in the city. May I have the honour of walking you to your chambers?"

"No, but you may walk me to the North Stairway..." said Ellimere, with a laugh. Rouen grinned- he had clearly expected a rebuff of the kind, and offered an arm to Ellimere. Kasha walked a pace behind them, as was proper. She wasn't worried- her mistress had a level head on her shoulders.

It wasn't far to the North Stairway, and Ellimere relinquished Rouen's arm with regret. His intelligent conversation was refreshing after the unswerving politeness and constant small talk of the other young nobles, yet he was still respectful and courteous. Not to mention handsome.

He bade them goodnight, and kissed Ellimere's hand again, before smiling and turning back the way he had come. Ellimere and Kasha turned back up the stairs, and the maid watched her closely, but did not see any reason for concern.

"Kasha" said Ellimere suddenly "Do you intend to stay here at the Palace?"

"Oh, certainly, milady" said Kasha. "Belisaere is so much more exciting than Qyrre, and with my father dead there's no reason for me to return."

"Well," said Ellimere, turning to smile at her maid, "How would you feel about a little promotion?"

* * *

**A/N- Don't worry, I'm not going all soppy and romantic on you! Ellimere's not getting married any time soon! See you next time! Riddle Xx**


	3. Chapter 3: A Horribly Hectic Schedule

**A/N: Welcome to Chapter 3! In case you don't notice, we fast forward by a year or so, and now we're a few weeks before Sam returns. Thanks so much to Lilox Honnach, Eowyn Shadeslayer and SpellSpinner777 for their great reviews, and the latter for the rather in-depth conversation we got into about the nature of the Bright Shiners, amongst other things. It furnished me with about fifty plot bunnies, for future exploration! Anyway, enjoy! Riddle Xx**

**CHAPTER 3**

Almost a year later, and, as usual, Ellimere was awake before dawn, and down at the archery field. Unusually, she was alone, and she rather enjoyed the solitude as she sent arrow after arrow speeding into the targets that lined the end of the field. As the sun crept slowly over the horizon, she let her last arrow fly from the bow, and walked over to the other end of the field to gather them up, sorting them into their respective quivers, and then heading back up the hill towards the palace, enjoying the feel of the cool sea breeze on her sweaty forehead. It would soon be too hot to practise, even on the relatively unsheltered hillsides of the Palace grounds, and she didn't have time for more training in the mornings anyway, due to her hectic schedule.

She was lucky she didn't need much sleep- she knew that if she was Sameth, she wouldn't be able to cope. She would rise an hour before dawn, getting in practise either with the Guard, or, on days when they had other duties, on her own. She would then repair to her rooms, where Kasha, her Maid-in-Waiting, or Lathana, her under maid, would have her clothes and a basin of water waiting. After a quick change, she would hurry to breakfast. She would then have an hour of training with the Guard or a meeting with Touchstone, depending on the day, and then she would again run to her room to change for Petty Court. After Petty Court, she would have yet another change of clothes, and then have lunch with whichever ladies were in attendance at the Palace. She would then change back into her Guard's uniform, and then spend an hour either training with the Guard, or overseeing the various construction works going on at the Palace. She would change back into something more formal, then there was two hours of Charter Magic instruction with the Palace's Head Mage, or a meeting with a visiting Clayr, when there was one in attendance, then a meeting with the housekeeper to sort out dinner arrangements.

After an hour or so with her father out riding or, occasionally, both parents, in their study - her one time of relaxation in the day- she would have a meeting with Symann, to discuss various mundane aspects of the military presence in Belisaere and around the Palace, and then, after yet another change of clothes and an hour or so of studying or letter-writing in her study, she would trudge, exhausted, to dinner, and attempt to stay awake enough to have an intelligent conversation with whichever visiting dignitary, noble or Clayr was senior enough to sit next to her. She would escape as soon as possible, and go and have a chat with Johen, on the sentry post, or, less often, Dirin in the kitchens or Tonin in the Sentry Gate. When the castle clock chimed an hour to midnight, she would reluctantly head to her chambers- though by the time she got there, she would probably be struggling to keep her eyes open. Then the same thing would start again the next morning. It made her exhausted just _thinking _about it.

However, occasionally this routine would be livened up by a feast, perhaps, in honour of a visiting dignitary, or sometimes in fine weather a garden party or informal dinner. Ellimere took every opportunity that was presented to expand her ever-increasing social circle, and her closer friends were almost always with her at dinner. She had therefore earnt the reputation of a diplomatic and socially adaptable girl- if a little overbearing sometimes in her efforts to please.

Having finally reached her bedroom and stored her quiver and bow on the hooks behind her door, Ellimere quickly washed her face and brushed her long, shining hair in the tarnished silver mirror on the door of her armoire. She was just changing into her plain tunic and red tabard when she was surprised by a knock on her door.

"Ellimere? Are you in there?" Ellimere exchanged a shocked look with Kasha.

"Mother?" she whispered "She _never _comes in here" Kasha beckoned her to open the door, and she did, revealing Sabriel, resplendent in blue and silver surcoat, sword and bells by her side. She was obviously about to leave in the course of her duties- but she usually bid farewell to her daughter after dinner on those all-too-frequent occasions.

"Ellimere, I'm glad I caught you" said Sabriel, with a weary smile, giving a rather surprised Ellimere a hug. "I've just been called out, some bandit or something... I wanted to ask you a favour"

"Of course, Mother" said Ellimere, Kasha fighting to hold her head still as she nodded, and attempting to twine her hair into several plaits at the same time. Luckily, she was used to her mistress's fidgeting and impatience, and managed to make a good job of it nonetheless.

"Sam will probably be back before I return, and I wanted you to pass this on" said Sabriel, handing Ellimere a large, rectangular package, wrapped in linen-rich paper. Ellimere looked at it curiously. She could feel the buzz of Charter Magic under her fingers, but its golden warmth did not touch her, as all other Charter Magic did. She guessed it would be something that had to do with Sam's station as Abhorsen-in-Waiting, probably a book of necromantic lore.

"Of course I will"

"Keep it safe, Ellie, that book is valuable" said Sabriel. "Impress upon Sam the importance of studying it. I need to start training him quickly, and it will be useful for him to get to grips with the basics before I get back, so I can concentrate on more difficult skills. Is that alright?"

"Yes, of course, Mother" said Ellimere, with a smile. Sabriel was never quite as interested in her affairs as she was in Sameth's- but, then, Touchstone did show her favour he didn't show to his son. With parents like theirs, it could only be expected. Neither meant it to be that way, as both had an enormous responsibility to be passed on to one of their children.

"Thank you. I know you have a lot on at the moment, Ellie. I was going to speak to your father and ask him to cut back your schedule a bit. You seem rather overworked"

"I'm fine, Mother, honestly" said Ellimere. "I'm coping very well"

"Coping and being overworked go hand in hand" said Sabriel. "Remember, you were your own person before you ever became Heir Apparent. Perhaps sometimes you need to give some consideration to the needs of Ellie, instead of concerning yourself with Princess Ellimere the whole time." Ellimere mumbled an agreement, and Sabriel smiled at her. "Farewell. Write often" Ellimere nodded, and kissed her mother on the cheek, and Sabriel waved to Kasha and left the room.

"She's right, milady" said Kasha, pushing pins into her hair. "You get even less sleep than I do."

"Well, I get more than Dad" said Ellimere, with a sigh "and I'll be in his place one day. I'll be fine. Thank you, Kasha, if you could take my practise clothes down to the laundry, you can have the morning off. I think I'll skip training and have some rest here" Kasha nodded and smiled in approval, and gathered up Ellimere's archery clothes, and then left the room with them, quietly shutting the door behind her. Ellimere stared at herself in the mirror. Kasha had done a good job with her hair- it was in several plaits twined around her head, making her look worryingly like one of her noble friends. She wasn't sure whether that was a good or a bad thing.

* * *

Dinner at Belisaere Palace was a generally a rather tedious event at the best of times, but Ellimere was surprised to find that on this particular day it was almost worth attending. She was sitting in the midst of a group of her friends, and to her delight Rouen was sitting opposite her. The handsome noble with his bright eyes and enchanting smile was already attracting quite a following amongst the young ladies of Belisaere, especially since he lived in one of the most handsome houses in the city, and Ellimere felt a certain amount of pride that he had singled her out, although it was only to be expected, and at present Ellimere felt no inclination to be anything more than good friends and allies in the social situations at court. Her friend Adrith, a pretty, freckled woman of four-and-twenty, who was watching her closely, couldn't stop smirking, and gave Rouen a bright grin every time he glanced at her.

Adrith was the eldest daughter and heir of one of the wealthiest nobles in the city, and as such was hardly affected by Ellimere's own status- so the two got on very well. As, it seems, did she and Rouen, and the three had become good friends, along with Lord Evron, Adrith's betrothed, a few of Ellimere and her friends' old suitors, one of Rouen's cousins, and Alyssa and Emia, two of Ellimere's other good friends. Although Ellimere had many, many friends, thanks to her impeccable manners and bright, outgoing personality, there were only a few she saw with any regularity, and even fewer she trusted. Adrith was undoubtedly one of them- Ellimere knew that the mark of a true friend, when you were a Princess was someone who could mock you to your face, and although Adrith was generally a kind, maternal sort of person, the slightest suspicion of her friend having any kind of romantic tryst would result in merciless teasing. However, it wasn't their own love lives that the two were concerned with this evening. In fact, they were in the middle of a conversation, observed by a few amused companions, about which young woman they should nudge in the direction of Sam. They were currently revolving around one of Adrith's four younger sisters, who was the same age as Sameth.

"Sera would look simply adorable with Sam" Ellimere said with a smile. "He's always had a thing for redheads" Adrith laughed, tossing her own jet-black curls- she was the only one of her sisters who had inherited her mother's looks- over her shoulder. It was common knowledge amongst Ellimere's circle that another of Adrith's sisters, the pretty Kaiyu, had taught Sameth to kiss behind the palace gardener's cottage the day before she had been betrothed to a highly-ranked Guardsman from the South. Thankfully, that report hadn't reached Sera or the Guardsman yet, as both Ellimere and Adrith had been plotting to become sisters since Sameth's coming-of-age party two years before, when Sameth had admitted, in response to his sister's persistent questioning, that the younger girl wasn't _all that bad_.

"I know" said Adrith. "They always used to get on well, too. Sera's quite sensitive, though, so we might want to choose our timing carefully. You know how stroppy Sam can get sometimes. No offense"

"None taken" said Ellimere with a laugh. "He's just an adolescent boy at heart. He'll improve eventually"

"I'm not sure how he can be stroppy around two such charming young ladies" said Rouen, with a smile. "More wine, Lady Adrith?" Ellimere hid a smirk behind her napkin. Adrith made for very funny conversation when she was tipsy, a fact that both Rouen and Ellimere had figured out early on the previous year after the exuberant parties following Ellimere's performance in the Midsummer Festival. However, Ellimere wouldn't be around to hear her scandalous views on everyone in Belisaere this particular evening.

"Your Highness" said a messenger, and Ellimere turned around to see Johen (looking surprisingly alert for someone who Ellimere knew had spent the previous evening on an all-night bender with two of the nobles who he was supposed to be guarding), who gave her a small smile. "A message just arrived from the King, and Sir Symann thought you would want to see it"

"A message?" said Ellimere, surprised. "Of course, I'll come right away. My apologies" she said to Rouen and Adrith, who waved off the formalities.

"We'll inform you of any juicy news tomorrow at the luncheon after the Cranaque game" murmured Rouen, adding a belated "Your Highness", and inclining his head. Ellimere glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, and followed Johen out of the Hall.

"How much did it kill you to call him 'Sir Symann'?" said Ellimere with a laugh. Johen and Tonin both detested their perfect older brother, and to tell the truth, Ellimere wasn't that keen on him either. He made her feel about four years old when he talked to her.

"It destroyed my soul" said Johen. He looked quite serious, and Ellimere looked at him anxiously.

"It's not really serious, is it?" she said. He glanced at her and his expression relaxed.

"No, Princess, it can't be. He wouldn't have sent it by message hawk if it was, they're rather unreliable"

"Well, you could have told me that _before_!" said Ellimere, with a sigh of relief, smacking him on the shoulder. He clutched it in mock agony and screamed.

"Charter help me, she's murdered me! Call the Guards!"

"You _are_ a Guard" smirked Ellimere. "And you can't summon the Guard to arrest the _Crown Princess_ unless you're the King, stupid. So you'd have to kill my father and assume the throne, or kill him and marry me, which would never happen because it's illegal to enforce an unwilling marriage since my great-great-great-great grandmother's Amendment Act, and I'd never marry you anyway, because you're rather too much of a roguish rebellious type for a woman of my status. So really, it was a stupid idea"

He gave her a blank look, blinked, and then laughed at her stubborn pout, very reminiscent of the Ellimere who had attempted to have her brother arrested, age four, for beheading her favourite doll with a poorly timed Charter spell.

"You royals are too melodramatic for me, Princess. I'm just a country mountain boy, remember?" Ellimere smiled.

"Yes, because all country mountain boys own half of Roble's Wood and spend their winters in a mansion in Belisaere, when they're not out getting in fistfights" Johen inclined his head to her with an ironic smile. They walked together in silence for a few minutes until they reached the hawk's mews. Johen fetched the hawk for her and placed it on her shoulder, then saluted.

"I hope any news is good news, Princess"

"Thanks" he nodded and left to vault the stairs four at a time, obviously heading for his customary position on the sentry post. Ellimere quickly ran to her chambers, to listen to the message. After firmly closing her door, she sat down on her bed, rearranging the sheets so they covered her lap, where the message hawk was digging its claws in rather hard, and then spoke.

"I am Princess Ellimere" she said, infusing her speech with the appropriate Charter Marks. "Please relay your message"

"Ellimere" said Touchstone's voice. She could hear the sounds of his Guard in the background. "I am heading north from Barhedrin, having collected Sam from school early. Something happened on the way back from a cricket match- some kind of attack from the Dead. Bravely, but rather stupidly, he confronted a necromancer in Death and was injured. He and his friend Nick were in hospital for quite a while, although Nick left before I was able to talk to him, however not before spending _three days_ at the house of one of the nurses..." Ellimere giggled. Nick had a reputation for such conquests. "Sam is recovering, although it will be a time before the trauma of the injury fades. I wanted to inform you of this before Sam returns, and ask you to aid in his recovery at the Palace, without giving anything away. I think keeping him busy and taking his mind off it would be best, perhaps you could arrange some social events with his old friends? I'm sure he will heal in time but your support will probably help. I'll be back in about-" the message hawk's memory ran out and Ellimere groaned.

"Stupid bird" she muttered, picking it up and heading back downstairs to replace it in the mews. If the bird had just a few more precious brain cells, she would know when to set her father's place at the table, and when to recall his manservant from leave. As it was, she would have to be on twenty-four-hour watch for his herald. Why couldn't life be less _stressful_?

She exited the hawk mews and sank back against the smooth stone of the corridor, massaging her temples. She felt like she hadn't had a holiday in years, though just two months previously she had visited Rubella and Felicity in Corvere, and spent two weeks in winter with Sanar and Ryelle in the Glacier, cataloguing their collection of royal manuscripts.

She sighed. No wonder she felt exhausted! Even her _holidays_ meant work!

"Princess Ellimere" said a voice behind her, and she jumped and turned around. It was Rouen.

"Oh! Oh, Lord Rouen. My apologies. Shouldn't you be at dinner?"

"I excused myself to see if I could be of service. Are you alright?"

"Of course I am" said Ellimere, slightly annoyed by his protective tone. She was, after all, the Crown Princess. But he was only being a good friend, she remembered, so offered a smile to offset her blunt wording.

"Well, may I walk you up to your chambers?" he said with a grin.

"That is impossible, Lord Rouen, you should know that" she said with a laugh. Sometimes he reminded her so much of Johen it was comical.

"Of course, Your Highness" he laughed.

"How is Adrith?" she said with a smile. "I thought you might be trying to pump her for information about what happened at her last cocktail party"

"Oh, I already know all about that" he said with a grin. "She and Evron didn't seem to want to wait until their marriage before performing the necessary... you know. It seems one of her under-maids heard them in a hall closet... I got it from her rather disapproving manservant"

"Well, why were you trying to get her drunk, then?" said Ellimere, who had already heard the story from a mortified Adrith- and, good friend that she was, bribed the necessary people to keep it quiet. It wouldn't do to have her best friend exposed like that.

"Well, you know how I love her impressions of Jall Oren and all your father's friends" said Rouen, eyes sparkling as they always did with the promise of scandal.

"Yes, I know, I seem to remember the last time she had too much wine she performed an unflattering impression of my mother's chief Lady-in-Waiting right in front of her husband" said Ellimere, shaking her head. "_That _took some diplomacy to rectify, I can tell you!"

"I can imagine" said Rouen with a grin. "Especially as, I seem to remember, you were on your second bottle of the evening and none too steady on your feet yourself..." Ellimere raised an eyebrow.

"Princesses don't get drunk, Rouen. I was merely in an expansive and happy-"

"- and clumsy" he added with a smirk.

"And clumsy mood" she said, with a sniff, stamping one slippered foot and folding her arms. "Drink had _nothing _to do with it!"

"And nor did the sudden appearance of that rather dashing young male messenger from the Clayr, I wager" said Rouen, earning both a scowl and a reluctant smirk from Ellimere. "Well, I'd best be allowing you to sleep before you need to return to the attentions of your ever-polite Guardsmen tomorrow morning. I bid you goodnight" and he kissed her hand, heading back down the corridor. Ellimere looked after him with a smile. You could find real friends in the most unlikely places. Talking of another unlikely friend, she rather felt like going to the sentry walk, where Johen would no doubt spend his entire shift teasing her. She didn't really mind- it was rather refreshing.

* * *

**A/N: Quite a jump in time here, but after introducing our characters and things, I wanted to get closer to when the action is taking place! Hope you liked it, review telling me what you think! Riddle Xx**


	4. Chapter 4: Being Big Sister

**A/N: Gosh, I'm on a bit of a roll with this story. I _should _be revising for my History AS exams, but I'm not! In return for this huge sacrifice, causing me to undoubtedly fail and therefore ruin my life, perhaps some reviews...? I'd love to hear some more opinions! Thanks so much again to SpellSpinner777, whose immense reviews are lovely to read :) **

**Not so much going on this chapter, but there will be some more action soon! - Riddle Xx**

**CHAPTER 4**

"Kasha?" called Ellimere, entering her room and looking around for her maid.

"Yes, milady?" said Kasha, emerging from her closet with her arms full of freshly laundered linen shirts, a tangle of various gold and silver circlets balanced precariously on top. Her pretty face was glowing, and Ellimere guessed that she had spent most of the morning with Dirin and forgotten to do her chores. She didn't mind- at least someone was getting a little romance, even if Dirin was only a penniless kitchen boy.

"Oh, Kasha, thank goodness. I have to meet with Lady Ryelle before Petty Court, she doesn't have long, and Sam is suddenly feeling a bit poorly. Do you think you could be absolutely wonderful and run and fetch some chamomile tea or something for him? He really looks quite pale and I don't want to just leave him there" Kasha nodded and gently slid the clothes onto Ellimere's freshly made bed.

"Yes, of course, milady, but are you quite sure I shouldn't fetch the doctor?" Ellimere sighed, fighting to extract her head from the sleeve of her judicial robe.

"I already asked, but he said he wanted to be left alone. I thought he was faking to get out of rehearsals, but he really did go very pale. Oh, dammit, where's my ivory wand? Have you seen it?" Kasha calmly handed her the wand, which was lying on the floor in full view. "Thanks Kasha, I don't know what I'd do without you!" She hurriedly grabbed the topmost circlet- silver and quartz, very appropriate for a meeting with the Voice of the Nine Day Watch- and ran out the room. She was halfway down the corridor when Kasha came after her.

"Milady, your jet wand, you left it behind!"

* * *

"So how was Petty Court?" said Johen to Ellimere several weeks later on the sentry watch, giving her a patronizing look. She was writing a letter to her friend Felicity in Ancelstierre and couldn't be bothered to go down to fetch her knife- so she was using his spear to sharpen her quill.

"Dammit! I just sliced it in half" she said. "It's my best pheasant-feather one- wait; what?"

"How- was- Petty- Court?" said Johen, insultingly slowly. She glared at him.

"The most fun I've had since Sameth tried replicate the Abhorsen's House in that old fountain and flooded half the palace" said Ellimere, "Except this time at least my clothes didn't go mouldy from the damp"

"Sounds thrilling" said Johen, who was now lounging against the roughly hewn stone wall and scanning the horizon with a pair of battered watch-glasses.

"Sometimes I really _hate_ this place" said Ellimere. "People think that being a Princess is so easy. But so far today, I have sentenced eight criminals, spent two and a half hours supervising the laying of a new jousting field, and helped my maid overcome a self-esteem crisis so bad that I was considering making it even worse by _firing _her" Johen chuckled and shook his head.

"Kasha's always been a drama queen. What was her problem?"

"Thought she saw Dirin with another girl. Turned out to be his twelve-year-old niece, but she still took an hour to stop crying"

"Dear me. That can really put a downer on a day. I hope you won't ever come up here and spend an hour and a half crying over Lord Rouen. I'd probably push you off the battlements after five minutes" said Johen, rolling his eyes.

"Don't worry" said Ellimere with a disdainful sniff. "Sam doesn't call me Ice Princess for nothing." She bent back over her parchment and carefully erased an ink splotch with a quick charter-spell. She was always a perfectionist, and even writing to a girl who had witnessed her perform the Charleston in her nightgown to the entire Prefect's dorm after a few too many whiskies required the same paranoia when it came to presentation.

"Good, because I've heard some nasty stories- looks like the weather's clearing up, Princess Ellimere, I'm sure it should be fine for archery tomorrow-" Ellimere smiled to herself. She didn't need to look up to know another soldier had passed. "- about your Lord. Has a bit of a reputation for himself down south, you know"

"I do" said Ellimere. "Which is why I am very careful to sit next to him at dinner a maximum of twice a week, for appearance's sake"

"I hope you know what you're doing, Princess"

"Johen, I've known _you _for fifteen years. Ergo, I know how to handle a rogue" said Ellimere, who was in no mood for Johen to begin treating her like he did his younger sister. It unnerved her. "We're just good friends. And you're the one who needs to be careful. You do know that Jerina's father is second-in-command of the Trained Bands? He could have you killed in an instant if the rumours concerning the two of you are true" Johen cocked one eyebrow.

"Oh yes?"

"Something about the gardener's shed, during the Cranaque game last week-" Johen looked panicked, and hurriedly shushed her. She laughed. She was an expert at calling people's bluffs.

"Alright, alright, you got me. But don't tell any of those loud-mouthed socialite friends of yours"

"I won't" he relaxed. "I don't need to; Tonin's told everyone already anyway." He visibly stiffened and she smirked. "You have so much to learn"

"Because you're such an expert on illicit love affairs" snorted Johen. Ellimere raised an eyebrow and he instantly began to look very curious indeed. She was bluffing, but then, how was he to know?

"The Virgin Princess?" he said, with a derisory laugh that drew a sharp look from Ellimere. "You'd have to be a very good actress"

"I've learnt from the best" she said, with a gracious nod towards him, only half ironic. "Oh, there was something I meant to ask you-"

"If it's anything about a woman, I'm not-"

"I don't need to quiz you about women, Johen, contrary to your opinion; you aren't that good with subtlety. No, what I wanted to ask was about my brother"

"I am _not_ teaching your brother how to seduce women. Doesn't his crown do that _for _him?"

"No, that wasn't it either..."

"Well, what, then?" said Johen, who seemed to have run out of ideas as to what she wanted. Ellimere sighed deeply, twisting one thick braid around her finger.

"Have you noticed anything about him?"

"Anything..."

"Anything out of the ordinary" said Ellimere, looking at him anxiously. He frowned, running his hand through his dark, curly hair and shuffling a bit with a creak of chain-mail.

"Princess..."

"What?"

"_Everyone_ has. He's practically having a mental breakdown" Ellimere looked at him, slightly hurt by his tone- what kind of big sister was she? Johen seemed to sense her thoughts, and hurriedly said "No, Princess, it's not you. He's a young lad; let him have his bout of self-indulgence. He'll snap out of it, don't fret."

"But still... I want to help... do you know if he talks much to any of the Guards?" said Ellimere thoughtfully, glancing at Johen. He knew what she meant- if he confessed half as much to someone as she did to Cynel, Tonin and even himself, she would instantly know how to fix his problem.

"Not anything that could help much" he said, thoughtfully, "but I know he's often up on the second Sentry Watch at the same time as Brel"

"Brel..." said Ellimere thoughtfully. "He is courting Chlora, of Ender's Court?"

"Yes, I think that's him. Good man, good soldier."

"I haven't seen Chlora in a long time... I would rather like to send a message to her"

Johen nodded, immediately sensing what she wanted.

"It can be arranged."

"Good. Thank you, Guardsman Johen"

"Princess" he said, with a nod, and a slight smile, as he resumed his slow patrol of the Sentry Walk.

* * *

Ellimere was back in her chambers far earlier than usual that evening, and after an entire half an hour without a single interruption, was feeling unnaturally calm. She was happily curled up on her red velvet chaise longue in a linen bath-robe, reading a romance novel that Rubella and Felicity had sent her from Ancelstierre. If she didn't finish it soon, the ink would rot and it would be illegible, but she was a fast reader and so she hoped she could make it to the lovely conclusion. It was a calm evening, not yet winter, but the breeze ruffling her curtains was decidedly cool nonetheless, and, picking up a poker, she gently stoked the fire.

"Milady"- there was a soft knock on the door, and Kasha poked her head in. "Lady Adrith for you?"

"Oh, send her in!" said Ellimere, carefully marking her page with a scrap of spare paper and standing to kiss her friend on both cheeks.

"You're looking strangely relaxed" said Adrith with a smile. "It makes a nice change from your usual expression"

"Which is?"

"Carefully controlled panic tinged with a little exhaustion and some understandable exasperation" said her friend concisely, arranging her skirts and then flopping down onto one of Ellimere's velvet armchairs with as much grace as one can muster when flopping.

"Goodness, is it really?" said Ellimere, yawning. It was clearly infectious, as Adrith responded with a huge yawn of her own and sat forward to reheat Ellimere's pot of tea with a Charter-spell.

"No, not really, but it's nice to see you having a rest" said Adrith. "You looked dead on your feet at dinner today. I wouldn't have been surprised if you had pitched head-first into the avocado vinaigrette when Jall started lecturing you on the importance of studying Northern politics"

"_Anyone _would have" said Ellimere. "Jall is a good person, and useful to have around, but he can be..."

"Insufferable, tedious and downright patronizing?" said Adrith, with a sniff. "Just a tad" Ellimere laughed. Adrith had very strong views about most of the nobles in their acquaintance, and enjoyed sharing them at every opportunity.

"Even more so then Kalina?" said Ellimere, referring with a smirk to her friend's future mother-in-law, who seemed to take it as a personal slight that her son did not wish to live in the family home with his bride after they were married, and had purchased a townhouse in the fashionable Palace Quarter to that end. Little did Karina know that Adrith had threatened to marry Evron's brother instead if she had to live within half a league of the insufferable old woman. The threat seemed to have the desired effect.

"No, Kalina's in a league of her own. You know she accused me yesterday of being pregnant, in front of the butler _and _both of our cooks? _Please_. As if I would be pregnant before my marriage. There are spells to prevent _precisely_ that sort of unfortunate accident" Ellimere laughed. Adrith may play the perfect, chaste bride-to-be in front of her husband's relatives, but she rather thought it was Adrith's wild side that had so appealed to Evron in the first place. All it took for him to fall for her was a nudge in the right direction, thanks to Ellimere and her carefully-thought-out dinner seating plans.

What, after all, were friends for?

"I mean, she basically said I looked fat in front of three members of my household. Stupid old hypocrite" sniffed Adrith.

"Well, you know you're not" said Ellimere, patting her hand.

"Hmph. I wish she'd stop this absurd quest to keep him for herself. He's scared enough of her already, although I think he's just nervous around her because he hates it when we argue."

"Scared of losing limbs, no doubt" said Ellimere with a grin. "Or have you stopped that nasty habit of tossing cutlery at people who annoy you?"

"_Once_!" said Adrith, outraged and amused at the same time. "That was _one _time! I was eleven! And you were _cheating_!"

"I was _not_ cheating" said Ellimere. "Princesses don't cheat!"

"You aren't allowed to use Charter Magic in Cranaque!"

"That's not in the official rules"

"But it's an acknowledged fact!"

"Well, like you said, you were eleven. And I was _eight_"

"And scarily competitive, even then" said Adrith with a fond smile. "Oh, I almost forgot, Rouen told me to say hello"

"Knowing him, I'm surprised he didn't come up to say hello himself" said Ellimere, flicking her hair out of her face and gratefully taking the cup of chamomile tea that Adrith passed her.

"Yes, he's not one to abide by social convention" said Adrith. "Lucky his mother's not here to keep an eye on him. Have you ever met her?"

"No" said Ellimere, with a smile. "But I hear she's quite the ogre"

"Oh, no, my mother says she's lovely" said Adrith. "But she knows how to keep her son in check, from what I've heard!"

"Oh, don't tell me that Rouen's an undercover mummy's boy" said Ellimere, smirking. The thought of the sparky Rouen trailing round the house after his imperious mother was an amusing one.

"Yes, he is" said Adrith. "Probably why he can't hold down a girl, eh?" she looked at Ellimere alertly as she added "I'm sure the right woman will sort him out!"

"Well, that's our theory with Sameth, but I think our Rouen is destined to be a bachelor" commented Ellimere offhandedly. Adrith gave her a look that clearly said _Unless you have your way with him_. Ellimere snorted.

"Oh, Adrith, not you too. He makes me laugh. There's a big gulf between that and true love, don't you think?"

"Oh, I wasn't suggesting you were in_ love _with him, darling" said Adrith, arching an eyebrow.

"What were you suggesting, then? That I get up in the middle of the night and meet him in the Armoury for a quick session against the axe-rack?" Adrith tried, and failed, to suppress a giggle. That particular Palace gag had been started by one of Sabriel's maids when she and her lover got a little too enthusiastic and knocked over a suit of armour, causing all of the Guards in the vicinity to come running. No-one had ever let her forget it.

"No, of course not, you're much too canny for that. I was merely suggesting that you're getting a little old to be satisfied with a few bawdy Guardsmen as your preferred male company. Not that they're not lovely, of course" she hastily added as Ellimere rolled her eyes.

"You're an insufferable snob, Adrith"

"I know. But you love me anyway!"

"I do" she smiled.

"You need to find someone, Ellimere! Think how many suitors you have! Surely you don't want to spend the rest of your life mucking it in with the Guard? What happened to our plans?"

"Adrith, I was twelve. I've rather gone off the idea of an arranged marriage with our children now. For one, that would mean any grandson of mine would have to suffer the pain of being taught by your lover, whose skills at jousting are _extremely_ unfortunate, and would therefore grow up as a reject amongst civilised society!"

"_Now_ who's the snob?" teased Adrith with a laugh. "Well, my _lover _is waiting downstairs to escort me home. Mind if I drop by for lunch tomorrow?"

"Mind? _Mind? _If you _don't _show up for lunch tomorrow, and leave me with Jall, I'll _drop _you in the Sea of Saere!"

"See you" said Adrith with a smile, sweeping out of the room. Ellimere again reached for her book and settled back down for some me-time.

She had just reached the part where Gwynevere and Sir Darvyn had the huge fight in the rose garden (she always enjoyed the snappy banter and witty comebacks) when there was a quiet knock on the door.

"Come in!" she called, hurriedly drawing her thick linen dressing-gown around her, and sliding her feet into a pair of velvet slippers. She looked up to see a nervous-looking Guardsman peeping around the door. This must be Brel, she thought. She liked the look of him- he was clean-shaven, with dark brown hair and equally dark eyes, and his uniform was immaculately clean and pressed, implying conscientiousness. On seeing her, he immediately saluted, and bowed, keeping his eyes on the floor. _Respectful_, she thought. _I like that_.

"Please, Guardsman Brel, come in" she said, smiling. "Sit down. Would you like a cocoa?" he shuffled nervously. "This is just an informal meeting" she said, with a smile at his nervousness. "No one knows you're here, and I'm addressing you as a friend, rather than a Princess. I just wanted a word. About Prince Sameth"

"Ah" said Brel, relaxing visibly, and taking the mug she offered with a nod of thanks. He smiled. "Your brother really doesn't appreciate what a sister he has, Princess Ellimere"

"Thank you, Brel, it's nice to think that _someone_ thinks I'm a decent sister" he chuckled.

"I'm in the majority, Princess Ellimere" he said.

"What I wanted to ask you" she said, hesitantly, "was if you'd help me keep an eye on my brother. I feel like I can't give him the attention he needs, and I wanted someone to do it without him knowing"

"Of course" said Brel. "Just keep an eye on him? Or do you want me to try and talk to him for you?"

"No, no no" said Ellimere with a laugh. "Just make sure he doesn't get too down. I think Johen is right, I'd rather give him a chance to let him sort himself out, but, you know, I'm worried-"

"I understand" said Brel, with a nod. "Shall I pass on any news to Johen for you, then? It might be less obvious"

"Perfect" said Ellimere, with a smile. "You won't go unrewarded, of course-"

"Thank you, Princess Ellimere, but that really isn't necessary" said Brel with a dismissive shake of his head. "When we take an oath to serve the Crown, you are included. This is hardly an inconvenience for me, is it?" Ellimere laughed.

"Finish your cocoa. I'll let Lord Symann know you were on business for me. Take the night off"

"You and I seem to have an understanding" said Brel, his calm, serious features breaking into a warm smile to the young woman, who raised her own glass of mulled wine in a toast. "Well, I'll be leaving you to sleep, your Highness" She nodded in dismissal and smiled.

"Oh, and say hello to Chlora for me" she called as an afterthought before he closed the door.

Well, it was only politeness...

* * *

**A/N: Don't you love Adrith? She's rather wonderful, in my opinion. Perhaps this chapter is a little heavy on the conversation... I think it probably is, but as it's a bit of a linking chapter, it kind of worked out that way. Until next time, when it's time for the Frost Fair! Riddle Xx**


	5. Chapter 5: Winter Wonderland

**A/N: This is where the story starts to tie in a bit more with the books, and we're at the Midwinter Festival, with Sam's disastrous dance! I hope you like it. I'd love people to tell me what they think about this story, reviews make the fanfiction world go round :) Thanks again to SpellSpinner777, who I believe deserves a place in the Reviewer Hall of Fame for his loyalty to all my Nix fics. Riddle Xx**

**CHAPTER 5**

Belisaere was truly beautiful when winter arrived. Snow and frost, both real and magical, lined the windows of all the houses, lanterns of glass and ice sparkled in every alleyway and overexcited children celebrated their holidays in the streets and squares of the capital.

Ellimere smiled as she passed a group of such children, who stopped their game of bowls to run after her. They were young enough not to be intimidated by her golden circlet, and yet not young enough to be scared of her as an adult. She signalled to her guards to step back and turned to greet the excited youngsters with a smile. These would be the children of the middle-class merchants, lawyers and shopkeepers who lived in this quiet part of town. They were well-dressed, in clothes that were well-made but faded, and two of the five looked familiar to her. Perhaps they were the children of palace employees.

"Come play bowls, Lady!" called one boy, after she had handed them a few sweets and small coins, as was customary around Midwinter.

"She can't play _bowls_!" called a little blonde girl, at least a foot shorter than the boy that Ellimere suspected was her older brother, smacking him on the arm. "She's a _Princess_!" Ellimere laughed.

"There are a lot of things Princesses can't do, but bowls isn't one of them. What are your names?"

"This is Kayla, and I'm Immi, and that's Tully, and my stupid brother is Sameth, and his friend is Jono" said the blonde girl, pointing out each child as Ellimere solemnly took each of them by hand, as was the custom. She could feel Tonin silently laughing at her, but didn't really mind.

"You and Sameth are the children of Master Wynn, the Palace chef?" she said, although she didn't really need confirmation. She had an excellent memory for faces- especially useful as she had to remember the name and title of almost every noble in the Kingdom, and it was easier to fake knowing who someone was if you remembered what they looked like.

"Yes" said Sameth, while Immi whispered "She _remembered _me!" to her two friends.

"Well, you need six for a game of bowls anyway," said Ellimere "or the teams don't match! I can spare a few minutes." she added, in answer to Tonin's raised eyebrow.

* * *

What was supposed to be a quick game in fact turned into three hours' of entertainment, as more and more children made their way from the surrounding houses to join in, ending up with almost a score of youngsters crowding the square. Ellimere even managed to persuade two of her guards to join in, though they insisted the final pair remain on the lookout for danger.

"Ellie" called Tonin eventually "It's ten minutes until luncheon and you promised you'd take that note about the Frost Fair Parade to Loren before midday!"

"Oh, damn" said Ellimere, dropping the ball she was holding, causing her team to groan. Her father would never let her into the city on her own ever again if she didn't even do what she was allowed out to do. "Sorry I have to cut the game short, but perhaps some sweet pears would make it up to you?" she gave the vendor a few pieces of silver and instructed her to serve the children, and then snagged Immi and her brother- named after her own, she thought with a wry smile- on the shoulders. "You know where Ship Street is?" she said, and Immi snorted.

"'Course! Not far from the main docks" said the youngster.

"Do you think you could take this note to Master Loren, in the big house opposite Jetty 4?"

"Yes!" said Immi, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

"Thank you, children. Here-" she passed them both three silver pennies, kissed Immi on the cheek and ruffled Sameth's hair. "Farewell. Enjoy the fair!"

"And you, Lady" said Sameth, shyly, darting off down the main road with his younger sister.

"Bright sun and swift water!" called Immi over her shoulder, the old greeting from the days before Touchstone's reign sounding out-of-place amongst the happiness and bustling life of the restored city. Ellimere smiled and turned to leave with her other three Guards, ignoring the fact that they were all stifling grins.

* * *

"Do you think it's cowardly if I just close my eyes?" said Ellimere under her breath to Adrith in the Royal Stands overlooking the winding road down which the dancers would soon parade. The thought of having to witness even a part of Sameth's impending doom was too horrific to contemplate. Emia, on her other side, gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"Oh, Ellimere, stop fretting, I'm sure it will be fine..." she said, with a kind smile.

"No, it won't! You realise he managed to break a girl's leg in rehearsals? He actually _broke her leg_"

"Which girl?" said Adrith, suppressing a chuckle with difficulty.

"Sleet, I think. Faramia"

"Well, she's a little bitch anyway, I really wouldn't worry-"

"Adrith!" exclaimed Ellimere, stifling a laugh.

"Oh, come now, Ellie, it was an accident. And I'm sure the new Sleet will do just fine, you know everyone says she's good enough to dance a main role at Midsummer" said Emia, as usual, trying to keep the peace.

"The new Sleet can fall in the bay, for all I care, I just don't want Sameth humiliating himself-"

"And you" remarked Adrith.

"And me. The entire Royal Household, come to that."

"Ellimere, _calm down_. Even _you _managed to dance the Harvest Maiden last year, and that was with only four week's practise, and it was a rounding triumph. So I'm sure that Sameth will do just fine. And if he doesn't, there's always the Midwinter Feast at the Palace to look forward to. Have you decided who to give the part of the Harvest Maiden to this year?"

"Do I have to decide?" said Ellimere, in surprise.

"Oh, dear, you can really tell you went to school in Ancelstierre" said Adrith, with a slight laugh, smiling at a giggling Emia. "The previous Harvest Maiden awards the part next year. Normally, of course, the Queen or the Crown Princess has to give her approval beforehand, but I don't think your mother really cares, so it's your decision"

"Oh..." said Ellimere, with a sigh. She was glad she had Adrith to help her, because neglecting to announce the next Harvest Maiden would have completely ruined the end of the feast.

"Do you want me to help you decide?" said Adrith, sensing her uncertainty as only a friend of her calibre could. "I've seen most of the dancers before"

"It's alright, I don't mind choosing" said Ellimere. "It has to be one of the Six Spirits?"

"Yes, or the Bird of Dawning, if it's a girl playing it, or one of the Ice Maidens or Snowflakes. It can be one of the Sea Spirits, but that's less usual because they're new dancers, making their debut this year"

"Ah" said Ellimere, pretending to understand. Unfortunately, unlike an indulgently smiling Emia, Adrith saw right through it.

"When you are a dancer in Belisaere, you make your debut once you come of age, either in the Midsummer Festival as a Sunbeam or the Midwinter Festival as a Sea Spirit. Once you have done that, you can audition for a better role. Of course, debutantes can dance any role they are chosen for when they come out, and it is traditional for Princes or Princesses to dance the Harvest Maiden, the Bird of Dawning, the Sun Spirit or the Rainbow. Understand?"

"Oh, that's how it works. Yes, thanks."

"Just in time, it's starting!" said Adrith, and, indeed, the drums and pipe-whistles that signalled the start of the dancing could be heard faintly from where the dance commenced at the other end of the Fair.

"We won't be able to see them for a good quarter-hour, though" said Jall Oren, from further along the box where he was sitting with Sabriel's Ladies-in-Waiting and a few of Touchstone's friends amongst the nobility. Ellimere was glad she had Adrith and Emia to talk to- she wasn't allowed to bring a friend to these kinds of events until she came of age, and making small talk with her parent's friends was excruciating, to say the least.

* * *

The dancer's arrival down the main Avenue of the Stars was heralded by a ripple of excitement amongst the crowds that lined the streets. As the dancers appeared, glittering white and gold foil was released from where it was held by charter-spells high above the crowds, to rain down on the dancers. Ellimere wished it could become ten times thicker, though even that wasn't likely to hide Sam's many mistakes, as Emia's frequent winces clearly attested. Adrith wasn't watching Sameth at all- she was swelling with pride at the sight of her little sister dancing the part of Frost. But although Sera was performing admirably, and certainly looked lovely in her floaty silver and white crystal-studded costume, Ellimere couldn't take her eyes off her brother.

He was trying hard, she'd give him that. But every time he missed his footing, or turned the wrong way, or tripped over another dancer, she couldn't help but cringe. The dancers were obviously used to it, because they were being very careful about dancing around him, trying not to trip him up- Ellimere and Adrith smiled at each other when Sera gently nudged him in the right direction when he started to turn to the right instead of the left.

"Ellie" whispered Adrith some minutes later. "Watch Sleet. I think she's trying to trip Sameth up"

She was right, Ellimere realised, and cursed herself for allowing Faramia's sister to take her role. She should have anticipated this happening. The slender blonde girl was dancing rather faster than she should have, and her stilts were connecting with Sameth's too often for it to be an accident. At one point, Ellimere was sure she saw her smack him, and he staggered into two of the other girls- luckily they saw it coming and managed to keep balanced on their stilts, and the dance finished soon after when the Six Sprits melted back to join the Sea Spirits and Ice Maidens, and Sam danced up to the Royal Box to present Ellimere with the green sprig of Spring. Luckily no-one apart from Ellimere noticed that he had managed to break it in half along the way, and the leaves were hanging off.

"Well done" said Ellimere, with a forced smile, whilst the crowd applauded and started to dance and sing themselves. Sameth looked like he was going to throw up.

* * *

It could have been worse, Ellimere thought, as she took her place at the head of the table in the Palace for that evening's Feast. Almost all of the prominent noble families would have a representative at this feast, along with the Six Spirits and thirteen Ice Maidens, who had a table of their own. Ellimere shot a glare at the back of Sleet's head, and caught the eye of Sera, Adrith's sister, who seemed to be doing the same thing.

"I thoroughly enjoyed the dance this evening" said Rouen, with a slight, although possibly sarcastic, smile. "Really good this year, I thought."

"Wonderful" said Ellimere with a forced smile.

"It's a shame I can't congratulate Sameth in person" said Rouen, giving her a pointed look. She took the hint and glanced at his chair- it was empty. Nodding at him in thanks for the reminder, she gestured for Cynel, who was standing guard in one of the alcoves lining the hall. She came and knelt down next to Ellimere.

"Where the _hell _is Sam?" hissed Ellimere. "He must know his absence won't go unnoticed!"

"Want me to go and drag him down here?" said Cynel, sympathetically.

"No, it'll just embarrass everyone... can you, _subtly_, send a page to get him? Tell him they're serving buttered swordfish and he's missing out. And that-"

"- you'll kill him if he shows you up like this in front of everyone" finished Cynel, nodding, running one gloved hand through her short blonde hair, standing up and saluting, and then resuming her normal lofty tones. "Of course, Your Highness. If he isn't feeling any better shall I send for the doctor?"

"Do, yes, but come and tell me if he really is that unwell" said Ellimere, making sure that those around Sameth's intended place heard. "This headache is probably just lack of sleep from all these dance rehearsals!" some of the nobles around her laughed and Ellimere sighed. Why did she have to smooth over all these embarrassing incidents? Couldn't Sameth just try not to make them in the first place?

"Have you decided yet?" Adrith's voice jolted her out of her stupor.

"Oh, is this for the main part at the Harvest Festival?" said Rouen. "So, you danced it last year, Ellimere? I'm sorry I missed that" he gestured to one of the waiters on duty and one came forward with a bottle of red wine to fill up the glasses of Rouen and his friends. Ellimere particularly looked as though she needed it.

"Yes, I was the Harvest Maiden last year. Actually, come to mention that, I need to make the announcement before dessert is served" she sighed, running a hand over her long black hair and fingering her golden circlet. Rouen nodded, and, standing up, gently clinked his glass with his smallest dessert spoon.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present Princess Ellimere of Belisaere" he said, and instantly a hush descended over the great hall, with every head turning to face the head table. Ellimere was impressed- usually whoever was announcing her, usually her father or Sam, would have to shout to make themselves heard.

"I am delighted to welcome you to the Palace on this beautiful Midwinter evening!" said Ellimere, her lofty voice ringing through the hall, although inwardly she would have preferred to leave her courtiers and run up to her room and bury herself in an Ancelstierran novel. Duty, however, unfortunately prevailed.

"I am sure you will all join me in congratulating those dancers who made this evening's festivities such a pleasure to watch" she nodded towards the dancers' table as the rest of the guests politely applauded them, choosing not to mention her brother. After a few moments, Rouen cleared his throat loudly, and everyone quietened down. She smiled gratefully at him and he nodded to her with a smile before offering a hand to help her up and sitting down himself.

"As I am sure you are aware, now is the moment when the star of this year's Midsummer and Harvest Festivals is to be announced," said Ellimere, looking around at the assembled guests with a gracious smile that she had learnt, surprisingly, not from her parents or Etiquette teacher, but from Sanar and Ryelle, those beautiful cousins from the Clayr, who were able to make everyone feel at ease.

"As last year's Harvest Maiden I am proud to announce that this year, after I thoroughly enjoyed her debut in the Fair, the part will go to Lady Sera of Belisaere!"

Sera gasped and immediately blushed the same crimson as her hair, and Adrith kissed Ellimere's cheek with a delighted smile. Looking around, Ellimere could see considerable surprise- it wasn't usual for an amateur dancer to take a lead role, royalty excluded- but as Adrith had danced the same part five years previously and performed excellently she could see that it was going down fairly well.

"Good choice, Princess Ellimere" said Jall Oren, giving her a solemn nod. Ellimere had the impression that he was thinking along the same lines she was.

* * *

After dessert, Ellimere and all of the guests made their way to the roof garden over the Great Hall, one of her favourite places in the Palace, where the trees and shrubs had been covered with magical lights and frosted garlands were looped between the trees and torches. A small band, seated in the central clearing, began to play a lively tune and soon many of the nobles were up and dancing, while the other guests milled around making small talk. Ellimere accepted a cup of mulled elderberry wine from a servant, and spent her time greeting those guests she had not been able to talk to at the feast, who formed a large group around her- it was considered the height of distaste, if given an invitation to a Royal event, to not personally thank one of the family, and as Sameth had disappeared, Ellimere would have to deal with everyone herself.

"Your Highness" said a voice behind her. Ellimere, turning, saw a slight blonde girl, balanced precariously using a pair of wooden crutches.

"Ah, my greetings. Faramia, isn't it?" she said, and the girl nodded. So _this _was the girl Sameth had managed to disable. Ellimere felt a stab of pity for her- all those months out of training would be a setback for her professional career. But then, she had probably got her sister to attempt to sabotage Sam's dance. Vengeance could be a wonderful thing.

"I would like to give my most humble thanks for a wonderful evening, Princess Ellimere" said Faramia, with a forced smile.

"No, no, not at all" said Ellimere breezily. "I was most disappointed that you could not dance at the Festival."

"Yes, quite my opinion" said Adrith, who had just joined them wearing a smile that unmistakeably showed she was up to something. "Your expertise was sorely missed, as I'm sure you noticed."

"I'm afraid I don't quite follow, my Lady Adrith" said Faramia, frowning slightly.

"Well, your replacement as Sleet really could have used some more practise" said Adrith with a tinkling laugh, acting as though she did not know that the girl was Faramia's sister. Ellimere, smirking to herself, decided to follow her lead.

"Yes, I do agree" said Ellimere. "I had heard great things about her, and I'm sure she tried hard, but she simply couldn't manage her stilts!"

"Near the end, did you notice, Faramia? You must have, you were in the box below us- she tripped, and almost knocked Prince Sameth off his feet!" said Adrith, with another giggle. "Poor thing. She was favourite to become Harvest Maiden before today, wasn't she?"

"Indeed" said Ellimere "But, you understand, I'm sure, Faramia, I must think of the dance as a whole. She needs to practise not hitting the Prince with her stilt in the middle of the Fair. It was _horribly _noticeable, wasn't it?"

"Quite, Your Highness" said Faramia, who looked stony. "Well, thank you very much"

"You're _very _welcome, Faramia" said Ellimere, with a bright smile. The girl gave a slight bow- obviously she couldn't curtsey in her wooden splint- and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Ellimere, Adrith and a few of their other friends to dissolve in laughter.

"You put her down well, Ellie" said Alyssa, smiling. Ellimere shook her head with a smile, and the twinkling frosted lights adorning her circlet seemed to give her hair a faint blue sheen. Adrith smiled in appreciation of Kasha's handiwork, and glanced up to see Lord Rouen approaching them. With a smirk, she linked her arms with those of Alyssa and Emia. Ellimere had done so much for her and her suitor Lord Evron, it was only fair she should try and return the favour, at least as far as ensuring Ellimere enjoyed her evening before having to deal with the ramifications of Sam's disappearing act.

"Come, girls. Let's go and get some drinks. I'm in the mood for a melon ice."

Ellimere rolled her eyes. When was Adrith going to get it? Rouen was charming, certainly, friendly and warm, and had proved himself trustworthy over the last year, but aside from the natural attraction she felt for a good-looking young man, there was absolutely no romantic spark between them at all. Adrith was still looking pleased with herself, but Ellimere hardly noticed, because just as her friends walked off she felt someone grab her wrist, causing her to jump out of her skin and spin around with as much subtlety as she could muster.

"Princess" hissed Johen, who was half-hidden in the shadow of a large potted lemon tree. "I'm not supposed to be here, but Brel told me to tell you that Sam has been pacing the Sentry Walk for the past half-hour, and just locked himself in his tower room" Ellimere looked at him, and sighed.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Do you think you could send someone to keep an eye on him?" Johen nodded, glanced around, and caught sight of the younger noble, who looked as if he was about to walk over.

"Enjoy the festivities, Princess" he said with a wry smile, earning another frustrated sigh from Ellimere, who was sick of the phrase _just good friends_, and ducked out of the way as Rouen stepped up to Ellimere.

"May I have your hand for the next set, Princess Ellimere?" he said with a smile, and she nodded, unconsciously rubbing her arm as he led her to the centre of the courtyard. She would enjoy herself while she still could- she had a feeling things could only go downhill from here.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6: Playing Hostess

**A/N: Hello, all! I had my AS English today, so wasn't much in the mood for writing anything new... but luckily enough, this chapter was about a paragraph away from completion! Thanks again to SpellSpinner777!**

**In reply to your comments on Rouen... yes, he's slimy, yes, he's arrogant. Believe me, he's not gross (not in my mind!), but I think people like him are an acquired taste. He'd be a good lover but not so good with the fidelity side. He's a loyal friend, though, and I think despite his many flaws that's what counts. He's not going to play a huge part in the story, but he'll be there on the sidelines. Glad you like Adrith, I do too!- Riddle Xx**

**CHAPTER 6**

The two weeks after Midwinter were generally a bit of an anticlimax after the excitement of the festival proper, and Ellimere welcomed a bit of light relief from some of her more tedious duties, although naturally others had been thrown up to take their place. At that particular moment she was in the kitchens talking with Master Wynn and Mistress Farley about her brother's birthday festivities. She was at her wit's end when it came to Sameth, and was finally following the advice from Emia that she had previously scorned- "The way to a man's heart, Ellie, is _always _through his stomach".

Since her friend was now married to a rich, handsome young Northern nobleman and expecting their first child, Ellimere supposed that her expertise must count for something, and hoped that by throwing Sam a great party and inviting all his friends- however estranged he had managed to make them- she might snap him out of the foul mood he had been in all winter. She had even spent a great deal of time searching for books on inanimate magic, and buying him small trinkets that he often used in his workshop, which she thought he'd probably appreciate more than whatever her parents got him.

After sorting out five choices for appetizers, starters, soups, fish course, meat course, dessert and wine, all of which she knew he liked, Ellimere thanked the two chefs and made her way to the Great Hall, to supervise the decorations and table placements. She had spent a great deal of time making sure that Sameth was seated as far away as possible from anyone he had ever had the slightest disagreement with, and was sure that, if he perked up a bit, the party would go without a hitch.

* * *

As always when one is foolishly optimistic, her hopes were soon dashed in the cruellest way possible.

All of her carefully chosen dishes were served, and the guests ate ravenously, with great appreciation of the finest food the Palace had to offer. Sameth merely picked at his helpings. His excitable friends, buoyed up by the excellent wine and large quantities of ale, meant that animated chatter soon broke out over the long tables, but it was soon dampened when Sameth refused to laugh or join in the many jokes. Multicoloured garlands and bright lights decorated the Great Hall, but even these carefully enchanted decorations failed to bring a smile to his sullen face. Ellimere desperately tried to cheer him up, making jokes about their parents and even offering to let him out of Petty Court for a week if he would just cheer up, but her efforts fell on deaf ears, and soon, out of sheer embarrassment, she turned her attention to those irritated guests that her brother was neglecting to engage in conversation. The small talk, which inevitably had to revolve around Sam, was excruciating, and it was all she could do to stop herself leaping out of her chair and trying to slap some sense into him.

If she thought that everyone's spirits would improve after liberal servings of alcohol, she was also mistaken. Even the music seemed less lively when, thanks to Sameth's bad mood and blank refusal, no one else, for civility's sake, could dance. Seeing the thunderous looks on the faces of her parent's friends, and the disappointment evident in her own friends, Ellimere wished she could sink down into her chair and disappear.

All in all, the party, which had been so meticulously planned and executed, down to the very last hors d'oeuvres, collapsed around Ellimere's ears. Luckily, she managed to cobble together a troupe of dancers and acrobats at the last minute and so provide some entertainment, but it was a difficult task and everyone at the party could see through her forced smiles and graceful laughter.

"I can't believe it" she said, fighting back tears, as later that evening as she and Adrith sat on one of the delicate wrought-iron benches of the Roof Garden. As soon as the final, disgruntled guests had been ushered out, with gracious smiles and promises of a ball in the near future to lighten their spirits, Adrith had sent Alyssa and Emia to entertain the visiting Clayr and dignitaries with the necessary small talk, called for Tonin and Johen, and taken her friend up to the deserted garden for some much-needed peace and quiet- and an opportunity to vent her frustration. "Has he no feelings at all? Doesn't he care for _anyone _but himself? His friends have left him, and now every noble in Belisaere thinks he's some stroppy, spoiled little brat who has to ruin everyone's fun!"

"Well, you have to see their point" muttered Johen, causing Adrith to choke back a giggle. Tonin, one hand resting gently on the furious girl's shoulder, merely looked annoyed at her brother's lack of empathy.

"Ellimere, dear, you mustn't worry" said Adrith, removing her green velvet shawl and wrapping it around Ellimere's shoulders. "No-one blames you for how Sameth acted, and you know everyone is aware of how difficult he's been lately."

"Whose fault is that, though?" said Ellimere, tears leaking unbidden out of the corners of her eyes. Wordlessly, Adrith gently wiped them away with one chiffon sleeve and allowed her to continue. "It's only since Mum and Dad were away this winter that he's been like this. Maybe it's me, maybe I haven't-"

"Don't be stupid, and stop feeling so damned sorry for yourself" said Johen sharply. Adrith and Tonin both shot him an identical glare.

"Men" muttered Adrith to the other woman. "_Never_ know when to keep their _mouths shut_". Tonin shook her head in silent agreement. Ellimere stopped crying with a small hiccup and looked at him in astonishment.

"Sameth has been like this ever since he returned from school, and why? Because he's suddenly realised that Princes, like everyone else, might actually have to do some _work _for a living, however pitiful the required amount is-" Ellimere looked both insulted and hurt by this remark, and Tonin glared at her brother to stop, but he didn't seem to hear her "and can't spend their entire time locked away from the world making irrelevant trinkets. Frankly, he's being a spoilt brat, in my opinion. I don't remember you ever reacting like this, Princess, whatever is wrong with your brother is his problem and his problem _alone. _You. Can't. Fix. Everything" Ellimere took one look at the stony expression on his face and buried her face in her hands again.

"Shut _up_, Johen!" hissed Tonin, pulling her brother away from where Adrith was now hugging a noticeably more downcast Ellimere. "Try and have a little more compassion! There's a lot of pressure on her, and this evening's been difficult for everyone. Will you just try and put yourself in her shoes?"

"Yes, because the life of a Princess of the Old Kingdom is simply horrific" said Johen, rolling his eyes.

"I never said that" said Tonin, glaring at him. "All I'm _saying _is that she's got an entire Kingdom to run! You might not have had the easiest life, but nothing can stop you from running down to the Silver Stilken in the evenings to get yourself a cheap hooker and a barrel of malted ale if you're finding things hard to cope with! The eyes of the whole Kingdom are on her, and the furthest Ellimere can go to escape this pressure cooker is her _garden_! So give her a break, for pity's sake! Go and apologise!" Johen looked in surprise at his normally impassive younger sister. And people thought _he_ was the unstable one.

"Aw, Tonin, she knows I didn't mean-"

"But you _did_! So _go and say you're sorry_!" hissed Tonin. "_Now_!" she added in a dangerous undertone, prodding one muscled arm so hard that he stepped away from her- towards Ellimere.

"Adrith, they'll be missing you down in the Parlour" she said, shooting her brother an evil look. "Your sister will need you to introduce her to everyone, she's only just come out, remember"

"Oh, you're quite right" said Adrith, seeing at once what the Guardswoman wanted. "I'll excuse you, shall I, Ellimere? Shall I tell them you are feeling unwell?" Ellimere nodded and Adrith stood up, wrapping her shawl tighter around Ellimere and drawing one of the magical braziers closer to her so that its warmth calmed her shivers. Ellimere smiled at this protectiveness- Sabriel, though affectionate, was not nearly as tender as her friend could be. Adrith would make a wonderful mother.

"Thank you, Adrith"

"You're welcome, darling" said Adrith, bending down and quickly kissing her on both cheeks. "Send Johen for me if you need me, and I'll send Tonin back to escort you upstairs in a half-hour or so. Alright?"

"Alright" said Ellimere, managing a watery smile. Adrith smiled, nodded curtly to a sheepish-looking Johen, and swept after Tonin, who was waiting for her at the top of the stairs. They both descended, and were soon lost to sight. The two who remained behind lapsed into awkward silence.

"You'd never have guessed" said Johen, staring at his feet. "That you were so upset, I mean." he said, when Ellimere raised an eyebrow. "No one can ever tell what you're really thinking. You seem so calm and on top of things all the time. I forget how hard it must be to try and hold everything together. I mean-"

"Johen" said Ellimere, sharply cutting across his ramblings and giving a little sniff. "What are you _talking _about?"

"Sorry, I'm not making any sense. What I meant to say was... what I said before... it was pretty harsh, even for me. I didn't mean... what I actually meant, in a very awkward, roundabout way, to say, was... sorry." Ellimere shook her head, more to clear it than to give any acknowledgement of what he had just said.

"It's alright, Johen, it was a rather nauseating bout of self-pity, I don't blame you. Sit down, you've been on your feet all day" she shuffled along to make room for him on the bench, but he gave her an odd look.

"We're alone, Princess" she relaxed slightly at the familiar, slightly derisory nickname, that Jall had threatened Johen with disembowelment for if he ever caught him addressing her as such again. "It wouldn't be proper" and he sat down on the bench opposite her, crossing one heavily-booted ankle over his knee, his sword close at hand- he was, after all, supposed to be guarding her.

"You're right, I forgot. Stupid of me." said Ellimere, drawing Adrith's shawl still tighter around her shoulders, which, covered as they were in only a layer of thin gold silk, were growing cold in the frosty winter breeze. For a few minutes, neither moved. Johen stared at his feet, and Ellimere's eyes were focused on something in the far distance- the sea, perhaps; or Boom Hook on the horizon. Silence stretched out between them, something that Ellimere had never known in all their years of uneasy friendship.

"What was it like for you?" he said suddenly. "Growing up in Ancelstierre, I mean" Ellimere glanced at him.

"Heavenly. I sometimes wish I could have stayed"

"Friends?"

"Yes"

"Lovers?"

"Hardly. It was an all-girls school"

"Fair enough." Johen grinned. His pertinent questions seemed to have broken the tension.

"How about you? I never really talk about your childhood"

"You don't..." said Johen, staring determinedly at a nearby potted hyacinth, brought into bloom early by the charter spells woven to its roots.

"I should. You live with your stepfather, don't you?"

"Yes, since I was ten. Almost fifteen years ago now"

"Your real father died?"

"Yes, thank the Charter"

"I may be mistaken, Johen, but I thought death was supposed to be _sad_" said Ellimere, raising an eyebrow. Johen laughed quietly at her indignant tone and shook his head, still smiling.

"Not him. He wasn't the most rational of men. He used to beat my mother and me. Tonin, too, though she was probably too young to really remember" Ellimere clapped a hand over her mouth.

"He _beat_ you? Why?" Johen looked at her, seemingly sizing her up for a moment, and then got up, and in two quick strides sat down on the bench next to her.

"This goes no further, understood?" he whispered.

"I know" said Ellimere, slightly insulted that he even felt the need to ask.

"Tonin and I are bastards" he said, quietly. Ellimere gasped. "Well, technically. Ever wondered why my mother married my stepfather so soon after my father died?" Ellimere frowned.

"I can't say I've ever really thought about it. But now that you come to mention it, it was only a few months, wasn't it?"

"My mother caused quite a stir" said Johen with a grin "by marrying in her mourning dress. The reason for it is that the man you know as my stepfather had been having an affair with my mother for more than ten years before my father's death. The only one of us who is his true son is Symann, and my father seemed to suspect as such. Luckily he died before thinking of using a truth spell on my mother"

"Does your stepfather- I mean, father- know?" said Ellimere, gaping at her friend. And she usually prided herself on her ability to uncover secrets! This was truly shameful!

"Yes, of course. But even if he hadn't, he probably would have married my mother anyway, they're good together. No one else knows, of course, so while Symann lives I can't be his heir... I have to babysit _you _for a living... now, now, let's not get violent!" he laughed as Ellimere took a playful swipe at his arm, the awkwardness between them gone in the face of such surprising revelations.

"We never talk about this again, understood?" said Johen.

"Talk about what?" said Ellimere, widening her eyes innocently. He laughed, and went to sit where he previously was seated opposite her. They lapsed back into more normal topics of conversation- Sam's mood swings, Sera's dance, Johen's latest rumoured conquest (and here, it seemed, Ellimere was in possession of all the information, much to Johen's evident discomfort), and, seemingly in revenge at the princess's continual teasing...

"How's Lord Rouen?" said Johen, with a nasty grin.

"Fine, I'm sure. He was well enough earlier" said Ellimere, refusing to rise to the all-too-obvious bait.

"Has he made a move yet?"

"I'm sure I don't know _what _you're talking about" said Ellimere, with a slightly derisory sniff.

"Have his beautiful blue eyes and dusky blonde hair thawed that heart of ice yet?" said Johen, laughing as Ellimere raised one eyebrow. "You know, you want to snag him fast, I've heard of any number of pretty nobles who would gladly steal him for their own"

"Princess Ellimere of the Old Kingdom" said Ellimere haughtily "Does not snag _anyone_. If a noble wants to gain her affections, he must work very, very hard to capture them!"

"She's told you, big brother" said Tonin, approaching them, obviously relieved that the two were chatting, Johen's little outburst forgotten. "Our Princess needs a consort that can compete with her. Although Rouen wouldn't be a bad choice" she added with a grin. "What I wouldn't do for a body like _that _to come home to every night!"

"Tonin!" squealed Ellimere "I thought you were on my side!"

"I am" she said with a smile. "We'd best be getting you back to your chambers, Your Highness. I'm afraid Rouen probably won't be there, but if you want him, I'd be glad to arrange-"

"Oh, shut up" said Ellimere, getting up and flouncing down the stairs.

"Royalty" said Tonin, shaking her head at her grinning brother. "So highly strung"

* * *

**A/N: I'm not quite sure why I put in that backstory, it just popped into my head. Also, Johen being the rebellious sort, I thought it fitted quite well. Please review :) Riddle Xx**


	7. Chapter 7: The Enemy

**A/N: It's been a while, and I'm sorry! I've had exams etcetera. However, I have the next few chapters mostly finished so they'll be up relatively quickly. I hope you enjoy, and if you do, pretty please review! (Oh, that rhymed! I'm a poet and I didn't know it!) Oh, and thanks very much to Rainbow Cloud for reviewing! Riddle Xx**

**CHAPTER 7**

Although Sameth didn't draw any attention to himself for the next few months, the atmosphere around the Palace had become noticeably tense since the fiasco that was his birthday, and Ellimere was forced to host several dances and banquets- both to liven up everyone's mood and to repair relations with those nobles that Sam had ignored at his birthday dinner. They were generally reasonably successful, probably mostly to do with the fact she didn't force her brother to attend, and helped in brightening up the cold months of winter- although necessarily meaning a week of hard work on the part of the hostess. She didn't mind, though. Anything to break her normal, boring routine was welcome, and although she would never admit it, unless she had a hundred and one things to occupy herself with, she would quickly become bored and try and find some other way to occupy the time, which would probably mean nosing into someone else's business.

Ellimere was helping to clear up after a lovely garden party in the apple orchard, which was mid-blossom, beautiful and fragrant. Garden parties were traditionally held in the Old Kingdom through spring and summer, and so Ellimere had donned one of her more frivolous dresses for the occasion- a delicate corseted number in white and red linen- although, with hindsight, this seemed rather foolishly optimistic as she ended up spending the afternoon wrapped in a picnic blanket that only partly warded off the chill sea breeze. She told herself that it was a dress suitable for the occasion, and that her choice of gown had nothing to do with the way that particular dress enhanced her curves and highlighted her pale skin, but her subconscious told her that the look on the faces of the male guests when she had entered the orchard was well worth a few shivers.

The luncheon had been very enjoyable, with cheeses and fruits served on soft woollen blankets laid out amongst the lantern-draped trees, and a small band- a piper, a flortist and two fiddlers- had delighted the company with its lively airs. The event was not a particularly formal one- there were no elaborate speeches or toasts as there would have been with a greater number of guests, and as such it was a very pleasant, relaxing way to spend the afternoon. She had spent the time with her own friends, as Jall Oren had consented to entertain her parent's noble acquaintances, and so she, Adrith and Emia with, respectively, their betrothed and husband, Sera, Alyssa, and Rouen and four of his friends (Ellimere always preferred to have an excess of males at such events) had spent a pleasant afternoon, which extended into the early evening, talking and laughing as they enjoyed white wine and the first of the summer desserts, rather optimistically served by Master Wynn. Luckily, it was a perfect spring day, and no rain came to wash away his delicate sugar-spun creations, which were an enormous hit. Much of the meal had been given over to Ellimere again reiterating the rules of tennis, which she was hoping to introduce as a major noble pastime in Belisaere, and the idea, as it had with all of her other acquaintances, had gone down very well. All in all, Ellimere felt it had been a resounding success, and resolved to hold more such occasions in the future.

Perhaps leaving the elaborate banquets in the capable hands of her father was the best plan after all, much as Ellimere was loathe to admit it.

Once the majority of the guests had left, and only Alyssa remained- seemingly to help Ellimere direct the clearing up, although Ellimere suspected it had rather more to do with the fact that she had taken an instant shine to the handsome, if rather reserved, Master Wynn- Ellimere felt, for the first time in weeks, rather relaxed. She felt so much better not having to talk to a roomful of people who were old enough to be her parents. In fact, behind their civilised small talk and impeccable manners, Rouen and his friends were as fond of bawdy jokes as the average Guardsman, something that Ellimere found put her instantly at ease. Sometimes it was nice to be a normal young woman for a change, instead of a Hostess, or, worse, a Princess.

"Take any unopened bottles back to the cellar" Ellimere was saying to Dirin "but anything else worth having you can take to the kitchens. Just stack the crockery over there and the Steward is going to sort it out"

"Right y'are, Your Highness" said Dirin, grinning at her over an armful of wine bottles.

"Your Highness" said a voice behind her- Ellimere turned to see a young Guardsman, of perhaps five-and-twenty, who she had practised archery with not a fortnight before.

"Yes, may I help you?" said Ellimere, smiling at him.

"I was sent by Guardswoman Cynel, she told me to tell you that your mother has arrived back. I believe Her Majesty arrived by Paperwing"

"What? When?"

"Not five minutes ago."

"Has Prince Sameth been told?"

"I believe he was practising with Cynel at the time, so yes. He left before he had finished his set, in any case. His Majesty the King, I am told, should also return within the hour" Ellimere groaned. Why couldn't they tell her when they were going to arrive? There wouldn't be enough place settings at dinner, or breakfast the next day! She looked around. They were almost done clearing up, Master Wynn and his apprentices could surely finish without her direction. She would have to run.

"Could you go and tell the Lord Steward what you have told me, and tell him I trust he will make the necessary adjustments" said Ellimere. "Also tell him he needs to sort out this crockery"

"Yes, Your Highness" said the young man, saluting and trotting smartly off in the direction of the kitchen entrance. Ellimere grabbed the full skirts of her dress to stop them getting muddied and sprinted in the direction of her bedroom to change into something more suitable. Whenever her father caught her in this dress he would ask her who she was trying to impress, and Ellimere was in no mood for his merciless teasing tonight.

* * *

The Enemy.

The Enemy.

It was all Ellimere had thought about since her parents' talk. She didn't know what was wrong, and, more importantly, she didn't know how she could fix it. Princess Ellimere of the Old Kingdom was a girl of action, and the thought of sitting at home, helpless, planning garden parties, while the foundations of her world were ripped out from under her feet, was unpalatable to her.

"The Enemy" she muttered.

"You can almost hear the capital letter" commented Johen, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "Who is this Enemy? A rival for Rouen's favour?"

"Hardly" said Ellimere, shaking her head and ignoring his obvious taunt. "Who, or what, is behind the troubles this past winter. The Enemy" Johen nodded, leaning his spear against the wall and taking his helmet off to massage his temples. There were dark shadows under his eyes and he clearly hadn't found time to shave that morning. Ellimere suspected he'd probably rolled right out of bed and reported for duty- but at least he hadn't yet dozed off against the wall, as some of his other friends were wont to do after a hard night's drinking in the Silver Stilken.

"Long night?" she said, laughing a little at the filthy look he shot at her. Johen shook his head with a grin.

"I shouldn't, I know. But here I am, bright and early for duty the next morning, like the dutiful Guardsman I am, and ready to serve you in your every whim" Ellimere whacked him on the arm.

"I'll hand it to you, I've never seen you shirk your duties, hangover or no" she said with a grin. "And you're far more interesting to talk to than your esteemed elder brother. Thankfully he's been gone since Midwinter, though, so I haven't had to put up with his unbelievably superior attitude"

"What, you don't get on with him?" said Johen, feigning surprise. "The Crown Princess, admitting to disliking her Tower Guardsman? You'd better not say it any louder; you'd have a full-scale diplomatic incident to deal with" Ellimere rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please, you should hear him. 'Well, Your Highness, I'd be glad to take care of the Qyrre duty rotas, you must be rushed off your feet with the preparations for this evening's feast'- you can tell he's thinking 'I'd best take anything related to fighting out of the hands of a woman, she'll get too distracted by the flower arrangements'! He's so condescending, it drives me nuts!" Johen laughed, both at her impromptu rant and her Ancelstierran expression.

"Well, at least when you take the throne you can replace him" he said with a smirk. "Which means you'll only have to put up with him for another sixty years or so, if you're unlucky"

"Johen! You're talking about my father dying!"

"Or abdicating" corrected Johen. "Maybe he'll get so sick of Symann and all the other nobles simpering at his feet that he'll take early retirement and hole himself up in Abhorsen's House with your mother. Then you'll have the whole of Belisaere _all for yourself_-"

"Don't say it, don't even think it!" snapped Ellimere. "I hate being a Princess sometimes. The thought that I'll still be making small talk with my father's friends in twenty years makes me want to jump of Boom Hook!"

"Well, join the club" said Johen. "The thought of still playing second fiddle to my older brother in twenty years time makes me feel rather nauseous. Not that I don't love him. He's still my brother, Charter help me"

"Half" muttered Ellimere and Johen nodded his head.

"Glad you were listening. But he is pretty difficult to be fond of, I'll admit. He's on a power trip"

"I wish I could say that about Sam. If he were a girl I would say he's been on his time of the month since he came back from school. He hasn't even talked to me. I try and help, but I just don't know what to do any more. I keep thinking he just needs time, but..." she sighed heavily and the pair lapsed into silence. "I miss him" she said suddenly, and seemed surprised by her own revelation. "All those little jokes we had. He'd call me Slavedriver; I'd call him Wet Blanket. We'd see how many grapes we could flick at the back of Jall's head before he'd crack. We'd draw rude words on the archery targets before practise-"

"That was you?" said Johen, laughing. "For an Heir and a Spare, you two knew a surprising amount of swearwords. They'd give us a good laugh at stand-to in the mornings"

"Yes, but don't you see? I miss that. It's like just because I'm not thirteen anymore we can't be like we were when we were younger. We used to have so much fun together. He's the only person I could really be myself around."

"You can be yourself around Adrith" said Johen "And Tonin, Emia, Rouen, Alyssa, Cynel... oh, and me" he said, almost as an afterthought.

"Not really" said Ellimere. "I can talk to you, but can you ever talk back?"

"Yeeessss..." said Johen, slowly and loudly, as though she was thick.

"That's not what I mean, you idiot" said Ellimere. "I mean, if I'm a brat, or if I'm being pathetic, can you tell me? Can you play practical jokes on me, if I play them on you? If I ask you if I look fat in a dress, can you tell me if I do?"

"That's kind of an irrelevant point, Princess" said Johen, with a chuckle. With the amount of exercise Ellimere did, she couldn't become fat if she tried.

"I know" said Ellimere. "But still, you get my point"

"I do" said Johen solemnly. "And I promise, Princess, that if I ever believe you are behaving like a brat, or looking fat, I will tell you in the strongest language in front of as many of your courtiers as possible" Ellimere grinned.

"So what can I do for you in return?"

"Well, make me feel as guilty as possible for my hard-drinking, women-seducing ways" said Johen with a smile.

"And people don't tell you this to your face because..."

"All the women are in love with me and all of the men know I can take them in a fight" said Johen. Ellimere rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'd best head off; I need to catch my father before he leaves. It's almost sunrise, look" Johen turned his eyes to where the horizon was just acquiring a faint blue tinge. He nodded.

"Sure you don't need me to accompany you?" he said, running a hand through his dishevelled hair and jamming his helmet back on with a sigh and a clink of chain-mail.

"No, your head won't fit through the door, you alcoholic nymphomaniac" said Ellimere with a sweet smile. As she re-entered the castle, Johen made a rude gesture at the back of her head.

* * *

Touchstone was busily packing a knapsack with those Ancelstierran clothes that he would need during his and Sabriel's covert mission, and as such was feeling rather jumpy. A sharp knock at the door and he leapt out of his skin, dropped the hat he was holding and involuntarily grabbed his sword from where it lay innocuously wrapped in a cloak on his table.

"Dad?" he looked up and smiled fondly at his daughter. Dressed in her Guard's uniform, with the royal crest at her breast, two longswords at her waist and golden ribbons braided in her hair, she looked tough and capable, as he knew she was, but just as beautiful as her mother. She looked so like Sabriel, but reminded him, and everyone else who had met her, far more of himself, with her rare but sincere smiles, ferocious temper and quick, logical mind.

"Come in, Ellie" he said, reaching out a hand and taking both of hers in his own. "I'm glad you came to see me, we didn't really get a chance to talk last night, did we? How have you been?"

"In between the lovely discussion about how best to save the future of the world as we know it, and Mother's life-threatening injury, it probably wasn't the best time for a father-daughter conference" she said, rolling her eyes.

"You've certainly kept yourself busy. Your story about Heria made me laugh"

"Well, if she wouldn't insist upon those stupid long sleeves, she wouldn't have tripped over in the first place" said Ellimere. "Did you ask Jall about it? He fell face-first into the punch-bowl, you know" Touchstone laughed heartily.

"I was going to, but his complaints about Sameth put rather a downer on our discussion. I couldn't bring myself to bring it up. I thought he was going to cry when he told me about Sam's birthday dinner" Ellimere nodded, looking at her feet.

"He hasn't- well, I mean to say-"

"He hasn't been himself" said Touchstone. "I know, Ellie. Don't blame yourself."

"I tried to talk to him last night" said Ellimere. "I thought he might be stressed about studying. Might need more time"

"And?"

"I don't know. I don't really know what to make of him anymore. I think he prefers me to leave him alone. I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid"

"Ellimere..." said Touchstone, sitting down and putting a reassuring arm around her shoulders. "Leave him be. You can't fix everything, and you have enough to deal with at the moment. Concentrate on your own duties. If Sam has a problem, I'm sure he'll talk to me or your mother" Ellimere was going to make a sharp reply about exactly how many of his secrets Sameth shared with his parents, but bit her tongue. Touchstone didn't need to worry about Sam as well as everything else.

"Okay, Dad" Touchstone shook his head at the Ancelstierran expression, and got up to check that no-one was outside the door, before sitting back down next to her.

"Now, I don't want you to worry, Ellimere. All I want is to make you aware of all the facts that I know. You'll need to be aware of everything to be able to employ the Guard to the best of your advantage, in the chance of trouble while I'm away"

"Trouble?" said Ellimere, shooting a rather perceptive look at her father. "There's more?" Touchstone took a breath and exhaled slowly, seemingly trying to find the best words. "Are you going to tell me why you've really been away all winter?" she said sharply. He looked at her and smiled part resignation and part pride.

"It's not too different to what I've told you before. Sorting out a few diplomatic incidents amongst the nobles, all very normal. It just took rather longer than we expected because of some... incidents." Ellimere sighed.

"Incidents of a violent and unexpected nature?"

"You could say that. We were ambushed twice- once while we were encamped outside Roble's Town, and once not half a moon ago, as we were marching back from High Bridge. We lost several men" Ellimere gasped.

"High Bridge? But that's in the very heart of the Kingdom! There hasn't been trouble at High Bridge for over a decade! How did it-?"

"Someone had managed to infiltrate the Guard at High Bridge" said Touchstone heavily. "It wasn't a large attack, and few know of it. Perhaps thirty of my escort, your mother and Jall. Most of the party I was riding with were encamped outside the town, but they attacked the inn where I was staying"

"So they were after you" said Ellimere, frowning.

"Yes. It was a well-planned attack, and if several of the higher ranked Guardsmen hadn't been concerned enough to post an extra watch shift, it might have succeeded"

"Prisoners?" said Ellimere, and Touchstone could see by the look on her face that she was making mental notes.

"Two, out of thirteen. All they would say is that they were in the pay of a necromancer, and we suspected that was the case anyway."

"Torture?"

"As we speak" said Touchstone with a heavy sigh. "But we've already tried truth spells, and it seems they were lowly ranked enough to not be aware of the identity of their masters. In any case, it's low on our list of priorities. We need to focus on the bigger picture, Ellimere. Assassination is always a risk when you're in my position"

"Comforting thought indeed" said Ellimere dryly. "Wait- you said you lost men. How many? Who?"

"Eleven. Seven of the Qyrre regiment. Two Belisaere Guardsmen, a young trainee from High Bridge, and..."

"And?"

"Sir Symann"

Ellimere clapped a hand over her mouth. Touchstone looked grave.

"It was a serious blow to the Guard. You are friends with his sister, aren't you?"

"And brother" said Ellimere. Did Tonin and Johen know yet? They must have done.

"I can't pretend that I was particularly fond of him, but he was a good man, a good General. He'll be hard to replace. You'll need to make that decision, Ellimere, and make it within the next week. I can trust you with that, can't I?"

"Of course" said Ellimere quietly.

"Anyone in mind? They'll need to be relatively highly ranked, a Lieutenant in the Trained Bands at the very least, although a Palace Watchman might be preferable."

"A nobleman?"

"It would probably be preferable, but not necessary. It's more important that they're respected amongst the Guard. We don't need any mutinies!"

"I'll think on it" said Ellimere. Touchstone nodded and, to her evident displeasure, ruffled her hair affectionately.

"You're a good girl. You'll look after Belisaere for me. Shouldn't you be down at the archery field?" Ellimere glanced out of the window, where the sun was almost up.

"Damn! I should have been there at sunrise. Bye, Dad" she kissed him on the cheek.

"Goodbye, Ellie" and then, under his breath, "Good luck."


	8. Chapter 8: Warrior Princess

**A/N: Aww, 47 hits and not one review on my last chapter? Harsh, guys! Which is why this chapter took so long to come out. Well, aside from exams, university applications etcetera. I hope you enjoy. Riddle Xx**

**CHAPTER 8**

"No, no, that's not right. Then we'll only have four regiments left in the city. With one for policing, one for the docks, one for the harbour entrance and one for the Palace, we won't have one left to man the city gates" said Ellimere, in exasperation. "Face it; we just can't afford to send _one_ north, let alone the normal three." Ellimere was in her father's reception room with her new Tower Guardsman, six Palace Watchmen, Jall Oren and several Captains from various regiments in Belisaere.

"Then what about the Glacier patrol?" said Johen with a frown, fingering the golden tower-shaped medal pinned to his chest. It seemed he hadn't quite got used to it yet.

"I'll send a message hawk to Mirelle" said Ellimere. "Head of the Rangers" she quickly added when most of the men looked mystified.

"You think the Clayr can manage themselves without the Guard?" said Kayvin, frowning not in disapproval but in thought. As Captain of Belisaere's Sixth Guard, Kayvin was used to the military organisation of the city, and the customary patrols of the Glacier. A calm, thoughtful man in his mid-thirties, with a serious face and a kindly smile, Ellimere enjoyed working with him and appreciated his quiet, subtle help when she was in difficulties. She got the impression that Johen appreciated his advice in his own new post.

"I think they'll have to" said Jall. "I agree with Princess Ellimere. Besides, their main threat has always been from the North, and after the Treaty of Estwael we have had fairly friendly relations"

"And if someone _else _attacks the Clayr?" said Cyril.

"They'll See them coming, and we'll come to the rescue" said Ellimere dismissively. Several of the guards stifled smiles at the frown on Cyril's face. "To be honest, though, the Glacier patrols are merely a formality, a gesture of goodwill. They haven't been called upon in hundreds of years, and anything they've ever done could be just as easily handled by the Rangers"

"I highly doubt that" said Cyril with a snort. "The Guard looks after the Glacier for a reason. Fifteen hundred women in one location, they're very vulnerable, it's for the good-" he was silenced by Johen hissing through his teeth

"Sexism is _not _a good road to take in front of the Crown Princess" he muttered. No one laughed. Cyril opened his mouth and shut it again at the look on Ellimere's face. She gave him a cold smile and drummed her fingers against one of her Charter-spelled, Wallmaker-forged longswords.

"Have you ever visited the Clayr, Cyril?" she said. All present noticed the rather obvious omission of his title of Captain.

"No, Princess Ellimere. I have never had that honour"

"Well, if you ever had, I think you'd come to the realisation that my cousins of the Clayr are perfectly capable of looking after themselves. Fifteen hundred battle-ready sorceresses, protected by sword and spell, who are able to See their enemy's every move. A force to reckon with, don't you _think_?" Johen coughed to hide a snigger, as, to Ellimere's surprise, did Kayvin, and Ellimere glared at Cyril before turning back to the map of the Kingdom spread over the large redwood table.

"You were talking about the lack of troops to police Belisaere, Princess Ellimere?" said Lyndon, a burly man about the same age as Johen, who had taken over his old post in addition to his position in the Trained Bands, turning back to face her.

"Yes, thank you, Lieutenant Lyndon. As I was saying, I feel it best to avoid all unnecessary patrols and consolidate all available troops. We've had a difficult winter, and whilst the King is not available I think it best to have as many Guardsmen on hand as possible. We've had trouble in the South-West, and we need to be prepared to take troops down to Barhedrin at a moment's notice to prevent any more Ancelstierran crossings." Grunts of acknowledgement around the table indicated that no-one had any objections to her opinion, and she nodded.

"So I will send a message-hawk to the Clayr this evening-"

"Two would be best" said Jellon. She nodded.

"Yes, I agree. I'll send two, then."

"Coded?" interjected Ilvid, referring to the enchantment that meant the Hawk would only respond when addressed by one of the bloodline to which it was addressed. A crude magic, but generally effective.

"Naturally" said Ellimere, discreetly adding his suggestion to the notes in front of her.

"And Barhedrin?" said Johen, looking at her. "You said you expected trouble there"

"Yes, I did. I am drafting one of the two Callibe regiments to Barhedrin. I've consulted with the Captain of the Guard in Callibe, and he has had no trouble either from bandits or the Dead this season. He says he can spare half of his troops, at least for the time being. I may send some troops from Qyrre down there as well, if need be, but I think doubling the troops will do for now. It will enable them to run more patrols, and there isn't much else we can do until we hear from the Ancelstierran Ambassador" there were nods around the table and Ellimere sighed. At least no-one had questioned why she felt there would be trouble in the South. It seemed there was more respect for her authority than characters like Cyril would have her believe.

"Any other business?" said Ellimere, tapping her pen on the table. Most shook their heads.

"One point about the new Lieutenant..." said Cyril.

"A complaint?" said Ellimere in a quelling tone. "Has she been shirking her duties? Performing in an unsatisfactory manner?"

"No-"

"Then there is no problem" snapped Ellimere. "As far as I have heard from her Captain-" she nodded at Ilvid- "She has been performing admirably. Until tomorrow, gentlemen. We'll be meeting at noon sharp." The other men nodded and there was a cacophony of scraping chairs and clanking chain metal.

"Would it be unprofessional to stick my judicial wands somewhere the sun doesn't shine?" said Ellimere, glaring at the back of Cyril's head.

"Unprofessional" said Lyndon "But I don't think you'd be getting any complaints." Johen laughed.

"Your Highness" said Lyndon, saluting. "Princess" muttered Johen, echoing his salute. Lyndon gave him a strange look, but Ellimere, who had turned back to the map and was re-arranging the golden-tower headed pins that marked various Regiments, didn't notice.

* * *

Dinner that evening was, in the minds of Ellimere and Adrith, most satisfactory. As Sam seemed to be in quite a good mood, for once, they had switched round the table settings to finally sit Sam next to Sera. It was a risky gamble, but to Ellimere's surprise, it paid off- Sam was quite chatty and Sera seemed very taken with him. In a good mood, Ellimere headed for her reception chambers where she had a fitting with the Royal Dressmaker for her summer wardrobe. She thought it was rather ironic, given the seriousness of the previous night, that she was still giving attention to things that seemed so trivial, but she supposed appearances had to be kept up.

"And if you lift your arm, my dear" said Madam Janelle, a kindly woman in her late sixties. Though she walked with a stoop and seemed frail, she was a formidable Charter Mage and the clothes she created, imbued as they were with Charter Marks of fragrance, of comfort and of resistance to wear, had no equal in the Old Kingdom. She had made a fortune from the nobles in Belisaere.

Ellimere obediently lifted up her left arm and Janelle's two sendings began to measure everything they could think of, while she took down notes and absentmindedly sketched various outfits onto the scroll of parchment unrolled on the table.

Janelle was in the middle of comparing various shades of dark green velvet to Ellimere's skin tone when there was a hesitant knock on the door.

"Ellimere?"

"Sam?!" said Ellimere, surprised. She handed the armful of velvet and satin she was holding to Janelle. "What on earth's the matter? You don't often visit me"

"Sorry, you're busy, I'll only be a minute" said Sam, nodding to Janelle, who eyed the doeskin breeches he was wearing with distaste. They _were _a little stained, Ellimere had to admit. "I just wanted to warn you that I need to take three days out of my schedule"

"You what?" said Ellimere, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

"There's a spell in _The Book of the Dead _that I need to practise" said Sam. "It's vital I try it at least once, but, because it's a sending, I'll need a few days to concentrate."

"Oh" said Ellimere. She hadn't heard of that particular spell, but, then, she didn't often discuss necromancy with Sabriel. Only Charter Magic that she could use herself against the Dead, and there wasn't much of that to be found. "Of course, Sam. Take as much time as you need. Will you be using your chambers? Do you want to use the study?"

"No, I'll use my workroom, I'm less likely to be disturbed" said Sam with a shrug. "I'll get meals and things for myself, you don't need to worry. I'll keep out of the way so no one notices what I'm up to"

"Alright" said Ellimere. "I'll say you're unwell, shall I?"

"That'd be great" said Sam. "Thanks, Ellimere" Ellimere nodded and smiled at him. Perhaps this was a sign he was feeling a bit better with himself.

"If that's quite all, Prince Sameth" said Janelle "We have satin to contend with" Sameth choked back a snigger and left the room. Ellimere shook her head with a sigh. There were a lot of things men could understand, but clothes weren't one of them.

* * *

"Princess Ellimere!" rang out a sharp voice from down the hallway. Ellimere, arms full of spare Guard's uniforms she had just fetched from the laundry- Kasha was nowhere to be found and Ellimere rather suspected she would be down in the kitchens- turned to see Lieutenant Lyndon hurrying towards her, a rather ruffled-looking carrier pigeon on one arm. Ellimere looked at it with a raised eyebrow, and then noticed the Charter Marks ringing its head and wings- marks for intelligence, for fleetness, for loyalty. This was a bird in a hurry.

"From the south?"

"How did you know, Your Highness?"

"It's an Ancelstierran bird"

"Bird? I rather thought it was a rat with wings. Mistress Flanney thought you'd want it directly"

"Thank you very much, I'll take it. Thank you" Lyndon carefully placed the bird on top of her pile of laundry, saluted, and walked rather more sedately back the way he had come. Ellimere looked at the letter tied to the bird's leg with interest. It had only been three days or so since her parents had left, had something happened so soon? The thought make her heart skip a beat, and she ran as fast as she could up to her chambers and shut the door behind her.

* * *

"Sam? Sam? Saaaaam? That's it! PRINCE SAMETH, OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT-" Ellimere stopped banging on the door with a scream of exasperation. Sam had locked the door with some kind of Charter spell, damn him.

"Problems?" said a voice behind her. She turned.

"Oh, Tonin, thank goodness. You're a decent Mage, aren't you?"

"Passable. Why?"

"I need your help to open a door." Tonin looked at Ellimere. She looked at the door. She looked back at Ellimere.

Quickly, she dumped her sword and spear on the floor, and took Ellimere's hand. Ellimere could feel the Marks of unlocking and opening flowering in her friend's mind, and began to visualize them herself. Seconds later, the door opened- barely an inch, but it opened.

"Thanks, Tonin"

"You can handle it from here?" said Tonin, noticing her flushed cheeks and messy hair, and the way she was breathing rather hard and fast.

"Yes, yes, that's fine. Thank you"

"Hmm" Tonin raised an eyebrow, nodded, and went back down the steps.

"Sameth?"

"Go away! I'm very busy!" shouted a voice from the back of the room.

"Sam, I just got a letter from Dad, you'll want to-"

"Go away! I'm very busy!"

"Ex-_cuse_ me, but I'll thank you not to interrupt- oh no. He _didn't_" Ellimere was staring, slack-jawed, at the transparent Sam that was sitting at the workbench. "He _did_! I can't believe it!" she screamed in frustration. "You absolute IDIOT, SAMETH!" she yelled to no-one in particular.

"Dear me, have we got a truant Prince?" said a sardonic voice from somewhere near her feet. Ellimere spun round with a strangled gasp, and her eyes fell on a small white cat giving her a disdainful look. Her jaw dropped.

"Mogget! What are you-?" she looked at the cat in shock, and then narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "I thought you only woke up around fish" the cat mewed and hopped up onto a small wooden stool, his tail flicking, his strange shadow moving on the wall behind him.

"Ancient evils stirring in the Old Kingdom wake me up too" said Mogget, leaping onto Sam's workbench and flicking a moonstone onto the floor with a sarcastic mew. "I was alerted by the return of Cassiel's bells. It seems Sameth's time has come. I followed your mother back and was intending to keep an eye on your dunce of a brother, but it seems I am too late" he fixed her with a piercing look. "What are you going to do?"- But Ellimere ignored him.

"That _brat_" snarled Ellimere. "I can't _believe _it! What's everyone going to say? The Abhorsen-in-Waiting disappearing in the middle of the worst year since my father's accession to the throne! It'll be mayhem!" Mogget, in the middle of delicately licking one paw clean, ignored her. "Mogget!"

"Well, it seems someone will have to go after him" said Mogget. Ellimere shot him a look. Mogget meowed.

"Oh, no"

"Oh, yes. Do something useful for the first time in twenty years. Go to Sam, and make sure the idiot doesn't get himself into any more trouble than he probably already has done."

"Lovely" said Mogget, sounding grumpy. "Babysitting. What else is a well-educated cat supposed to do with his time?"

"All I want is for you to stop my brother getting killed!" said Ellimere. Mogget purred slightly.

"How sweet"

"So I can kill him MYSELF!"

"Maybe not"

"MOGGET!"

" Any idea where he's going?" Ellimere sighed with relief. So he'd do it after all.

"The Wall" said Ellimere. "He'll be going to meet Nick. I'm positive. Just keep an eye out for him, and get him to send me a message hawk as soon as possible."

"Your wish is my command, Princess Ellimere" said Mogget. "I'll be off, then. Unless you'd be willing to procure me some fish first?" Ellimere narrowed her eyes at the little creature, and then shook her head with a laugh.

"Alright, then, but you'll have to promise not to tell my father I've been willingly providing you with salmon"

"Naturally" said Mogget smugly. "I am many things, Princess Ellimere, but suicidal isn't one of them"

* * *

**A/N: The new Lieutenant was Tonin, in case you didn't get that. Also, I'm so glad we got to see Mogget! He's my favourite character, I had to bring him in! Riddle Xx**


	9. Chapter 9: Problems and Plans

**A/N: A bit of a filler chapter, this one, but I thought it read rather well. It's definitely quite long. This story's been expanded and will now be 12 chapters and about 40,000 words, I think. Thanks to secret-scribbled-notebooks for reviewing! There will maybe be some romance, but Ellimere's got other things on her mind right now!**

**Don't worry, I've already written some humor/romance oneshots set after this story (I know; I'm so bad; I haven't even finished this one yet!) so if this isn't fluffy enough there may be more to come. If people want more romance they have to ask... and review, hint hint! Riddle Xx**

**CHAPTER 9**

"Ellimere, what in the name of the Charter is the matter? Tonin said you were having a nervous breakdown or something" it was Johen, naturally, accompanied by Cynel, Rouen and Adrith, who immediately came over and sat with Ellimere.

"Johen and Cynel were just escorting us to dinner when Tonin came rushing down and said you were trying to force entry into Sameth's workshop" said Cynel. "She said you looked really upset"

"No, not upset, just stressed, cross... Sam's done a runner" said Ellimere. Adrith gasped and Cynel clapped one mail-gloved hand over her mouth. Johen and Rouen, though slightly more subtle, both looked shocked as well. "I think he's gone off on some harebrained scheme to meet his friend Nicholas before he gets himself into danger."

"Idiot" muttered Johen. "Get himself into danger, more like"

"So he just went?" said Cynel. "Without a companion? Was he even armed?"

"No" said Ellimere, dropping her head into her hands for the tenth time that evening. "His sword was still in his room. He could have thought it was too recognisable, but even if he bought another, an unspelled blade won't help him against the Dead"

"Ah, but did he take the bells?" said Johen. "They would be more than enough to help him."

"He did, and I couldn't see... that _book_... either" said Ellimere. "But he hasn't finished training yet. As far as I know, he hasn't even finished reading it, and he's never used the bells, let alone used them in Death."

"And they can turn on the ringer" said Cynel grimly. "I've never heard anything so stupid."

"Have you sent anyone after him?" said Rouen. Ellimere nodded, but did not elaborate, and none of the others asked her further.

"Come on" said Adrith, standing up. "Get dressed, and come to dinner. You can work out what to do later. For now, you need to get something to eat, and get some sleep. I'm sure your brother will be fine. He may be a little self-involved, but he's not stupid."

"That's open to interpretation" muttered Ellimere. "I'll be down in a minute, I need to change"

"Alright" said Adrith, patting her on the shoulder. "Johen can wait for you outside. White or red?"

"Dress?" said Ellimere, confused.

"Wine, silly" said Adrith, rolling her eyes.

"Oh. Both, I think I need it." Adrith gave an understanding nod. She was an acknowledged advocate of wine as a solution to many of life's problems.

"See you in a few minutes" said Adrith, walking out the room and closely followed by the others. The door clicked shut and Ellimere heard a slight creak of chain mail as Johen leant against the wall waiting for her. She quickly slipped off her Guard's uniform, carefully hanging up her twin longswords but leaving her dagger in its flat sheath on the bed. She picked up a plain white corset and slipped the dagger into the pouch surreptitiously stitched onto the side by Kasha at her father's suggestion. She deftly laced it up using her mirror for reference, and slipped a red-trimmed yellow linen dress and cropped velvet jacket over the top. She quickly brushed her long black hair, removing the braids and ribbons that held it in place while she was training, and twisted the front sections out of the way to be held in place by a plain golden circlet. Looking around, she caught sight of a single piece of paper on her bedside table, the whiteness of the parchment and single black Charter Mark on its surface glowing in the light of the magical lights sunken in her ceiling.

She paused, her hand hovering over the paper, and then quickly snatched it up and headed for her door.

"Ready to go down?" said Johen, but his grin faded at the look on her face. He looked at the paper in her outstretched hand, the single Mark glowing ominously on its surface.

"From my father" said Ellimere. "You should probably hear it. He's not in the North. He's in Ancelstierre."

"I did wonder, earlier..." said Johen, taking it. "Is it bad?"

"Yes, but I don't know how bad..." said Ellimere. "We'll have to wait and see." Johen nodded.

"I'll listen to it later. After dinner."

"Come and see me tomorrow morning, before stand-to" said Ellimere. "Bring that, and pretend you're delivering it from the hawk mews" Johen nodded, and neither spoke any further.

* * *

For Johen, dinner at the Palace seemed to go even slower than it did for Ellimere- mainly because, at least before his promotion, he had to stand by the door watching everyone else eat. For someone with an appetite as insatiable as his, the hour that it took for dinner to finish was pure torture. At least now he was more highly ranked he could actually eat during dinner, although the small talk with various brain-dead nobles and bigheaded Guardsmen meant that his victory wasn't quite as sweet as it should have been.

Today he had to fight very hard to keep his irritation at Jall Oren under wraps. The letter, surreptitiously rolled up and stuffed in his dagger sheath, prayed on his mind all evening, and as soon as the formalities were over and done with, he bolted from the Entrance Hall to his bedroom in the Guard's barracks. At least now he had taken his brother's old job, he had a single bedroom, stuffy and uncomfortable as it was.

Slamming the door, he discarded his jacket, dagger sheaths, spear, longswords, mail-lined over-tunic, knee-boots and chain belt, only leaving his leather breeches, white tunic and wide, soft leather belt on- his nightclothes. That way, he always told himself, if Belisaere was invaded during the night, he wouldn't be surprised in a nightshirt. Of course, his sister and her friends all insisted it was because he just couldn't be bothered to change his clothes twice a day, which probably had an element of truth in it as well.

Flicking one hand in a sharp gesture, five small Charter-lights flew from his fingertips to sink into the ceiling, and he sat down on his stiff wooden bed, gently tugging the paper Ellimere had given him from the dagger sheath. Smoothing it out, he touched one finger to the Mark on his forehead. He hesitated. This was a private letter from the King to his daughter. Did he really have the right to read it? But Ellimere had given it to him, so, shaking himself, he pressed his finger to the Mark on the paper. It flashed brightly, and he heard the voice of King Touchstone, seemingly right in his ear.

"Ellimere, it's Dad. Your mother and I arrived in Ancelstierre yesterday. We've encountered huge problems, far worse than what I originally expected. We are attracting great hostility in the Moot- Corolini, that infernal idiot, is most definitely under the influence of someone in the Old Kingdom and the Our Country thugs have almost complete control of political and public opinion. We're desperately trying to win over some more support, but despite our best efforts the police, most definitely under Corolini's control, have been moving refugees closer and closer to the Wall, where there are now several major camps. The Army, it seems, still retain some sense and have forcibly prevented the few who have tried to cross- I'm sure you can imagine what happened to them- but we can't be sure that this will continue. Make sure the Guard is aware of the threat, and that there are sufficient troops at Barhedrin.

"There is one more thing I need you or Sam to do. Find Nicholas Sayre _immediately_ and ensure he is returned to Ancelstierre. It seems it is common knowledge that he is in the Old Kingdom, and since he seems to have gone AWOL your mother and I have been accused of kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail. As you can imagine, this is not helping our efforts, and it seems certain that whoever this "guide" that Nicholas met was acting on orders for ill. I don't know why they need him, but if he's important enough for the Enemy to want him, Ellimere, then we really don't want to give him to them. Even if it was just a coincidence, his disappearance is a problem that we do not need in such troubled times.

"I'm sorry I had to be the bearer of such bad news, Ellie, but your mother and I have complete faith that you and Sameth will do what's best. I hope we'll all be together again soon. Love you."

The voice abruptly cut off and Johen stared at the paper. Who was this Enemy? Who was Corolini, and what did refugees have to do with anything? He groaned, slumping back against the mattress. And there he was, thinking that now he had his own bedroom and could actually eat at dinner, life would be easy. How wrong he was.

* * *

For the first time in years, Ellimere found it hard to muster the energy to get out of bed. The thought of facing the threats against the Kingdom was exhausting in itself, and she had to act fast.

A few moments after she had burrowed back under the covers, however, habit won out, and Ellimere bounced out of bed with her usual energy. Kasha appeared, and in her guilt over her various unexplained (or so she clearly thought) absences, it seemed she had taken extra care with Ellimere's clothes. Ellimere's leather boots shone and her pins of rank all gleamed, and Kasha deftly twisted Ellimere's hair into several braids which she twisted and pinned around her head, leaving one long plait down her back. Ellimere admired herself in the mirror. Unusual, but she rather liked it. 

Thanking Kasha, she left her weapons on her armchair- she would collect them later- and walked quickly to the door.

Padding down the stairs, Ellimere came to the base of the North Tower, and the hawk mews. As she had expected, Mistress Flanney was already there, taking care of the latest batch of hawk eggs she was carefully raising- her hawks were much sought after for their (relatively) large memories, swift flight and toughness. Ellimere watched in interest for a few minutes as the older woman carefully turned each egg, laying several more Charter Marks on each eggshell before carefully covering them over again and placing them on a special rack several yards away from the fire, whose warmth Ellimere could feel all the way from the other side of the room.

"Princess Ellimere?" she said, in some surprise, when she spotted the girl, who had always been rather nervous around her, and therefore hadn't worked out what to say yet. "What can I do for you, milady?"

"I was rather hoping to send a message to Prince Sameth at Abhorsen's House" said Ellimere. Mistress Flanney looked up in some surprise.

"I wasn't aware his Highness had left the Palace" she said, clearly suspicious. "I had heard he was ill" Ellimere shook her head. She had originally intended to keep up that story, but decided against it. People would begin to think something was seriously wrong with him, and it wouldn't be good for the city's morale. She had decided to tell everyone that Sameth was training with Sabriel, helping out after a tough winter. She supposed it was true, after a fashion.

"No, he wasn't well when my mother left for the house three days ago, but he soon recovered and Lady Sanar was kind enough to drop him off at Sindle so he could take a boat to the House to join her" said Ellimere smoothly. Mistress Flanney nodded- she hadn't been aware that the Clayr, who had come down to visit Touchstone and Sabriel and left when she realised she had just missed them, had taken Sameth with her- but, then, the Clayr and indeed the Abhorsens were known for their secrecy.

"Ah, I understand. Perhaps he will be able to improve the situation along the Ratterlin" said Mistress Flanney, whistling through her teeth. A hawk fluttered down onto her leather-gloved hand, and she carried it over to her workbench to check its number into her log-book and check that it was capable of making the journey.

"Situation, Mistress?"

"My son is serving in the Guard at Qyrre" said the falconess. "I received a letter from him a few days ago. There have been reports of the Dead all up and down the river, and even some whisperings of Free Magic sorcery sighted at High Bridge. The people are nervous, but as there have been no major incidents, much is rumour and little is fact. You may want to tell Sameth, but if he has decided to take a boat to Abhorsen's House, he probably already knows." Ellimere nodded, but she suddenly felt as though her stomach was tying itself in a knot. What if Sam _didn't_ know? She was quite sure that he wasn't confident enough yet to confront _anything _Dead, let alone unknown Free Magic!

"Thank you, Mistress Flanney. If you don't mind, I'll record the message in my chambers" said Ellimere. The other woman nodded, and gave Ellimere a rare smile.

"I'm sure your brother will be fine, Your Highness. He has a good head on his shoulders."

"I'm sure he will. Thank you"

* * *

"You're _late_" snapped Ellimere as Johen entered. He faltered.

"There's no need to jump down my throat, I just stopped for sustenance!" said Johen, tossing her a sweet pear, some figs and one of Master Wynn's famous cinnamon buns. Ellimere smiled.

"Sorry, I'm a bit stressed"

"As I can see. Now, shall we talk about this letter of yours, or do you merely need my services as Tower Guardsman?"

"Both" said Ellimere. "Obviously, we'll have the meeting with the others tomorrow..." by others she meant representatives for the Guard from the other 15 major towns and cities in the Old Kingdom and the Head of the North Guard, Kayvin. The Head of the South Guard, whom Ellimere had never met, was based at either Barhedrin or Qyrre, depending on the severity of the season. She wasn't sure how many would respond to her emergency summons, as getting to Belisaere would be difficult for those whose Guard had no Paperwing "But I need to have a set plan before then, as you can imagine. I've talked to the others but I really need your opinion on that" Johen nodded, rubbing his unshaven chin and collapsing onto one of Ellimere's armchairs before leaping up, his face red with embarrassment, and offering it to her.

"No, you take it," said Ellimere, amused. She sat down on the end of one of the coffee tables and started to gnaw on the sweet pear he had given her. "Hmm. A little tough, but I suppose it's the beginning of the fruit season." Johen glared at her. "I know you're itching to ask questions, Guardsman Johen, so fire away while I enjoy my food." He coughed, and Ellimere prepared herself.

"The Moot?"

"The Ancelstierran government"

"Army?"

"The Ancelstierran equivalent of the Trained Bands and City Guard combined"

"The Police?"

"Loosely equivalent to the City Street Guard, but with more influence"

"Corolini?"

"A newcomer to the Moot. An upstart, who is hostile to the Old Kingdom and most likely in the pay of an enemy to the country"

"Refugees?"

"Southerlings, from the countries south of Ancelstierre. They are escaping a war in their own lands and want asylum in Ancelstierre. Unfortunately for us, certain members of the Moot would rather not make them their own problem, and are trying to send them north, out of Ancelstierre into-"

"- the Old Kingdom. And I'm guessing you and your parents are worried about something other than overpopulation?" said Johen.

"Yes. Which brings me to..."

"The Enemy"

"Indeed. In a nutshell, someone is organising attacks against the Kingdom. We believe these refugees are part of a bigger plan, long laid in the Kingdom."

"They are going to use them for an army?" said Johen.

"After a fashion" said Ellimere. Johen took the tone of her voice on and looked at her.

"Explain"

"The Dead that have been attacking up and down the Ratterlin are probably the advance party" she said in a world-weary tone. Johen gaped at her.

"Exactly _how many _refugees are there?" Ellimere tossed her half-eaten pear out of the window.

"Too many. Far too many. And we need to stop them"

"Just give me a roundabout figure. I need to know exactly how worried I should be"

"Take the population of Belisaere"

"Oh no"

"And multiply it by four"

Johen shot up out of his seat.

"_Four? _Two hundred _thousand_ Dead? And we have to stop them all with just the Guard? Ellimere, we'd be outnumbered ten to one! It's not possible! We only _have _one Abhorsen!"

Ellimere fixed him with a cold look.

"Are you _quite _done shouting and ready to assess the situation?"

"Situation? Situation? There is nothing to assess, the _situation _is that we're-" Ellimere coughed to cover up his swearing.

"Dear me, you've got a mouth like a bawdy sailor" she said. "Look, calm down-"

"Calm down? You promote me just so I can face two hundred thousand Dead Hands? That's the last time I'm bringing _you _food!" Ellimere rolled her eyes and grabbed her cinnamon bun before he could chuck it out the window.

"Not just Hands. I'm sure we'll have some nice surprises, like Mordicants, Shadow Hands, Stilkens-" Johen shuddered.

"You," he said "Have quite obviously become fatalistic"

"Not fatalistic, no" said Ellimere. "I reacted like you when this first came to light. I have simply accepted that I will do my best, and if that's not enough, I will face death and almost certain slavery." Johen coughed and stared at her pointedly. "Okay, maybe I'm a little fatalistic. But we have a chance, if we prevent the Southerlings from crossing at all. Even if they are killed, it is difficult to raise the Dead across the Wall, they'll be weak, and they won't be able to cross."

"So what are you suggesting we do about it?" said Johen, who was pacing the room, deep in thought. "Have the Clayr given any indication of this?"

"The Clayr are having problems with their Sight" said Ellimere. "They have persisting visions of ruin and destruction, a world inhabited only by the Dead. They believe trouble will come from Ancelstierre or the Red Lake- these are the places they are having most problems. Which leads me to believe that heading South is our best bet, so we can meet any trouble as it occurs"

"Qyrre?"

"No, I think Barhedrin would be a better bet. We won't be bringing the trouble of a huge number of Guardsmen on the townsfolk, we won't be attracting danger, we only have ourselves to protect and we're close enough to the Wall to easily run patrols into the surrounding area."

"Well, you're only taking the Belisaere Guard for now, aren't you?"

"Yes, for now"

"Well, the Base there should be fine if we set up a camp. Nice and central, too" said Johen, leaning over the map still spread over the table. "These" he pointed out the dotted lines traced on the heavy, waxed parchment "are the normal patrol routes?"

"Yes" said Ellimere. "Red are weekly, Blue fortnightly, Green monthly. We'll have to triple the number on each at the very least, and currently we just don't have the manpower based at Barhedrin. That's without even factoring fighting in"

"Or loss of troops" pointed Johen out, rather morbidly. "Or staff for catering, administration, supervision-"

"Oh, we'll have supervision" said Ellimere.

"What, me?"

"No. _Me_."

"What?!"

"I'm going to Barhedrin with the troops"

"You're-" Johen was uncomprehending. "Princess, do you have any idea what message it will send out if you march out of the city at the head of the Guard? The citizens will think that we're at war!"

"Well, for all I know, we could be" said Ellimere. "And I'm not marching, we haven't the time. I'm commandeering three merchant's ships, so we can make the journey in a few days. Jall will rule as regent in my absence, with a Council of eight others, who I will be notifying shortly. I need to be at Barhedrin. For one, I am the only one who has all the information-" Johen made to interrupt but Ellimere raised her voice "-AND the _authority _needed to get everything done. My parents won't send messages to you, Adrith, Rouen, or Tonin and if I get word of any development I need to be in a position to affect a rapid response"

"Yes, but I- wait, you told _Rouen _what's going on?"

"Of course I did" said Ellimere impatiently. "He's in a good position to gather information from the nobility and the townsfolk for me, and more importantly, he's one of my best friends."

"But-"

"I trust him, Johen. I know your ego rather liked to believe you were my only confidante, but you're just going to have to deal with the fact that I needed varied opinions on my plans, as they are so risky"

"But-"

"Don't worry; I haven't been taking any military advice from him. We all know that he's not one for getting his hands dirty, unless it's with-" she laughed when he hastily cut in.

"Alright, alright, no need to go into detail. But there are more reasons than you're letting on, and I want to know them" he said, his jaw set stubbornly in a way that Ellimere knew her own often did.

"Fine. Firstly, it's been rather a while since I've got out of this Palace, and I'd rather like an adventure. Secondly, this is rather an important job, and don't trust anyone more than I trust myself. Thirdly..."

"Sameth?"

"He's going to get himself into trouble, I'm certain of it. Nicholas was last heard of crossing the wall, and I'd bet anything that whoever has him will be heading for the Red Lake. That means Sam will be heading for the south as well. Of course, there's every chance that he will chicken out and stay at the House, or get... delayed... on the way, in which case I will need to seek out Nicholas myself-"

"I hope-"

"-of course, taking a suitable amount of protection with me" she lied smoothly. Johen looked extremely suspicious and Ellimere resolved to spend more time practising spells of truth-seeming, as Johen obviously knew her far too well.

"Well... alright. Are you intending-"

"- to call up the Trained Bands? Yes, indeed I am, so get on it." Johen nodded.

"The situation?"

"Worrying, with every chance of being upgraded to Critical at short notice. Send out an _alert _to the Guards of the other cities. I won't call on them for now, but make sure they're ready to drop everything at a moment's notice. Don't contact Roble's Town or any of the settlements near the Red Lake, and tell the others not to either. It won't do to alert the Enemy"

"Got it"

Johen left the room, and Ellimere gently removed the message-hawk from where it was sitting, docile, on her windowsill. Carefully holding the bird still, she spoke a Charter Mark, which blossomed on her tongue. Slowly, she blew it at the bird, which suddenly lunged forward, snapping the golden light. Its stomach, which hid the spell that gave it memory, began to glow. That was Ellimere's cue.

"Sameth, you idiot" she said, trying unsuccessfully to keep the exasperation out of her voice. "I hope this finds you at the House..."

* * *

**A/N: We've got an action-packed chapter coming up next! The two after that will be at Barhedrin, and there'll be either an epilogue or a oneshot to follow that (a letter from Ellimere to Lirael, like my Ellimere's Guide to Socialising oneshot). Riddle Xx**


	10. Chapter 10: Ratterlin, Attack!

**A/N: Ah, the joys of University applications. You're lucky I even finished this chapter before choking to death on my UCAS form! And thanks to SpellSpinner777 as usual! Riddle Xx**

**CHAPTER 10**

"There's definitely something out there" whispered Ellimere to the second-in-command on their Guard boat. Eloië was a calm, collected woman in her mid-thirties, highly ranked in the Trained Bands, who clearly had some Clayr ancestry as her hair was so blonde it was almost white. However, she had dark eyes and fair skin, and her alert, restless manner was nothing like any of the Clayr Ellimere knew. Universally respected amongst the Guard for her quiet logic and ferocious fighting ability, Ellimere had a high respect for the older woman, and felt strange being her superior. Eloië nodded, fingering her sword, as Ellimere had noticed she did when agitated.

Ellimere wasn't feeling too calm herself. Their first few hours on the Ratterlin delta had been fairly ordinary. It was only a little further up the river, as the sun sunk lower on the horizon, that they had begun to encounter problems. Misty lights could be seen bobbing up and down on the riverbank, and the strange fog they were sailing through got thicker and thicker the further they rowed. Ellimere was jumpy. The fog seemed to muffle everything around her, even the rhythmic splash of the guards' oars echoed strangely through the fog.

"The Dead" said Eloië, turning her watch-glass to the Northern shore. "I'm almost certain. I have not had many encounters with the Dead, but nothing living moves like that" she swallowed thickly, passing the watch-glass wordlessly to Ellimere, who stood up at the bow of the boat, holding on to the flag-mast for support, her hair blowing around her face. Hand shaking slightly, she raised the watch-glass to her face.

She knew immediately what Eloië meant. There were shadows through the fog that, at first glance, appeared human. No human moved like that. The rolling, shuffling gait made her shiver, the way they would suddenly lurch to the side, moving as though drunk, so drunk that they could no longer even control their own movements...

She took a deep breath, trying to control her violent shivering. It suddenly hit her that even after all her mother had told her, all she had heard, all she knew about the Dead, she had never actually seen one. And the sight of something so unnatural, so totally against nature, scared her more than she cared to admit. She brought down the glasses.

Ellimere was no coward. But there was one thing that she could not handle, and that was situations beyond her control. Things that she didn't have the power to deal with. The Dead certainly fitted into that category. Ellimere was a more than competent warrior, she knew. She could wield two swords to deadly effect, shoot up to five arrows in succession into a moving target several hundred yards away, and if all else failed, hit a bull's-eye with her dagger almost every time. She was also- more due to practise than talent- a very proficient Charter Mage. But would any of that help against the Dead? Necromancy was totally beyond her. She remembered, as a little girl, looking with fascination at her mother's bells, fingering the Marks on the beautifully polished wood and metal. But Marks were what they remained- no magic sparked under her fingers, and the golden warmth of the Charter failed to touch her. Perhaps that was the reason she had never been as close to Sabriel as she had to Touchstone- part of her mother remained strange to her, something she would never, could never, understand.

"What are we going to do, Princess Ellimere?" whispered Eloië, carefully speaking quietly so as not to alert the other Guards to the presence of the Dead. One of the Guards nearest to them- Ellimere didn't recognise him so he was probably one of the ones who had been sent south from Callibe- gave them a strange look, and when Ellimere spoke she lowered her voice even more.

"I'm going to try and avoid them the best we can" said Ellimere, "but we need to be prepared. Can you contact the other boats?" Eloië nodded. "Well, I think we need to get together the best Charter Mages, and those with the strongest-spelled weapons. If we have a group of strong fighters at the front and the back of the party, we should be able to beat them off well enough. It's not too far to Barhedrin, and most of the Dead are on the Northern shore, so there shouldn't be too many around"

"Are you sure?" said Eloië. "We could contact the Abhorsen..."

"There are far bigger problems afoot in the Kingdom than a few renegade Dead by the banks of the Delta" pointed out Ellimere. "I won't trouble the Abhorsen with a problem that we can probably handle ourselves, especially if it takes her away from more important duties". The other woman nodded. "Contact the rest of the Guard boats and tell them we'll gather at the bend in the river, where the Ratterlin turns North" said Ellimere. "And tell them to light as many torches as they can"

"Torches? Won't the Dead see them?" said Eloië. Ellimere shook her head.

"They know we're here, whether it's night or not" she said. "They can sense Life, as my mother and her kind sense Death. Trying to remain inconspicuous will do nothing for us, and fire is second only to running water as a protection against the Dead. Charter Fire may be even better- it will make our force seem stronger than it actually is, and perhaps prevent more Dead from turning up" the blonde woman nodded, getting out a conch shell. As she picked it up, a line of Charter Marks, almost invisible, brightened slightly, showing the link that connected this shell to the boats behind them, rowing in single file. Stronger than it looked, the spell was inconspicuous enough that the mages on the boats did not pick up on the fact that it was activated.

"How many Dead do you think we will be facing?" whispered Eloië.

"Perhaps fifty" said Ellimere, not mentioning to the guardswoman that she could see several of the Dead shambling along the bank after them. "A large number, but we have many men and they're far from any sources of power, like broken Charter Stones. I believe these were created far to the West-"

"The Red Lake" muttered Eloië, but Ellimere ignored her and continued to speak.

"-so whoever controls them has either let them loose or should be far away. In any case, I can't sense anything out there"

"You don't have the Death sense, though" pointed out Cynel, who was sitting at the bow calling occasional instructions to the rowers and had obviously been eavesdropping on their entire conversation.

"Not to the degree that Sameth or Mother does, but I have a slight affinity" said Ellimere. "I can feel when Dead are very close, and Mother thinks I could probably feel if something very powerful is approaching. Not much, I know, it's all we have" Eloië nodded.

"I think we have enough Mages to drive back fifty, at least for a time. You don't think they'll follow us to Barhedrin?"

"No, I don't think so. Remember that necromancer my mother fought, Cynel? She told us that as soon as she had banished her, a few strong spells were enough to scatter most of the Dead. We just need to present a strong front"

"I hope you know what you're talking about, Your Highness" said Eloië, "Because I haven't a clue. We should be there in little under two hours, as long as the weather holds"

"Good" said Ellimere. "Then tell the other Guard Boats what they must do."

* * *

The wooden landing stage, often used by Guard boats, stuck out halfway into the sluggish river, and Ellimere was glad that she could organize the troops under her command before venturing out onto land, where they would be in reach of the Dead that Ellimere could see gathered around the bank. One or two more would lurch into sight every minute, and she knew they had to move soon or risk being outnumbered.

"We should spell some arrows, Your Highness" interjected Lyndon. "At the very least."

"There's no time, Lyndon. We need to scare them off, and move to Barhedrin. The area is protected by a Charter Stone; they won't risk attacking the hill." Ellimere felt far less confident than she appeared at first glance. It certainly would be helpful to have some spare arrows, but she wasn't even sure she remembered all the marks that were needed for such a spell, and had no idea how many of the Guards were that advanced in their magic.

"Yes, of course, Your Highness. Shall we start moving out?"

"Yes, tell the Mages to prepare their spells." Lyndon nodded, and began moving along the front line of Mages. As he moved, Charter magic began to blossom along the line, some stronger than others. She caught Johen's eye and he gave her a small smile and a nod over the handful of bright Charter-fire that was illuminating his face. Cynel's palms were illuminated by small discs of light, which began to grow in her hand and soon resembled miniature moons, glowing gold and silver. Ellimere turned her own mind to the Charter. What would she use? Her mind flew back to the spells her father used to teach her, and she closed her eyes, visualising the Marks she needed. Ten pinpricks of light began to glow at the tips of her fingers.

"GUARDS! Back in formation!" The sudden shouted order disrupted Ellimere's concentration and the spell slipped from her as her head snapped up. It was Kayvin, the normally calm Guard Ellimere had brought with her from Belisaere. His sword was out and he was looking at a group of twenty or so guards who had broken off from the main group, and were now halfway across the wooden bridge towards land. Ellimere could see not one of the regiment from Belisaere. These were about half of the Callibe Guard that had met them at the estuary. Slowly, they turned to face Ellimere and her Guards- and began to draw weapons. Ellimere gaped at the man at the front of their group.

"Haden?" whispered Ellimere. "He's one of Dad's closest friends, I know he wouldn't-"

"Something tells me that may be an imposter" said Cynel. "Look at his eyes" Ellimere gasped. The man she thought was Haden had cocked his plumed hat, and revealed the silver flames that had been concealed from view.

"Free Magic! Traitors!" spat Johen, who was standing behind her, echoed by the mutters of several other Guards. "In the pay of the Enemy!"

"Or perhaps controlled by him" said Ellimere quietly, looking at the thing that resembled Haden. It seemed that he- it- was unaware that anyone had noticed anything.

"MAGES IN FORMATION!" roared Lyndon suddenly, causing Ellimere to jump with a start. "SWORDSMEN ON STAND! ARCHERS, READY!" a sudden flurry of activity followed his words. Lyndon turned to Ellimere, who had drawn her sword, and, grabbing her arm, pushed her back through several ranks of Guards. "At least ten men are to surround Princess Ellimere until I say otherwise" he barked, and immediately a dozen Guardsmen began to close in around her.

"What is- what are you- of course I'm not going to stand by like some damsel in distress!" she spat at Lyndon. "You need all of the Mages you can get!"

"You can cast spells from back here, Princess Ellimere" said Lyndon gently. "You will be one of their prime targets, and until we have this situation under control, I need to know you will be protected."

"But-" Ellimere began to protest, and then shut her mouth with a scowl. She nodded, and Lyndon grasped her shoulder in thanks.

"You're a good warrior, Princess Ellimere. But you have a price on your head that we don't want to pay," He turned and pushed his way through the massed ranks of the Guard. "Archers, READY! AIM! FIRE!"

Instantly all was noise and confusion. Ellimere saw several of the men go down, and instantly there was a rush as the Belisaere Guard charged. Yells and the clash of weapons broke the silence, and the cracks and flashes of Charter Magic temporarily blinded her.

Something was nagging at the back of Ellimere's mind. The Belisaere Guard...

Suddenly, Ellimere realised with a jolt in the pit of her stomach that there was not a single familiar face surrounding her. Not one of the twelve men surrounding her had she seen before. She stiffened, and one of the Guards turned to look at her. It was the one that had looked at her so strangely on the boat. With an even bigger shock, she saw something protruding from his forehead. A wisp of black hair, completely at odds with his blond looks. She turned her head down, and his head spun back to face outside the circle. But Ellimere was not looking at her feet. She had instantly reached for the Charter. The black wisp had reminded her of something- Sabriel's stories of how she came to be Abhorsen, or, more specifically, how her father had passed on his legacy to her, by sending a Dead creature to deliver the sword and bells. This man was controlled by an Adept- perhaps a necromancer had given that Free Magic construct control of him. In the split second before she had averted her eyes, she saw the man next to him had the same wisp on his own forehead. That meant they all did, or enough to have an effect.

The Charter was hard coming- the Free Magic creature she had seen was pressing at her senses- but eventually the Marks she was looking for flooded into her mind. After the initial effort, she had never had them come easier, and they almost seemed to link themselves in her mind. Perhaps in her urgency she was just concentrating harder.

With a flash, the spell in her hand came to life, and the Guards surrounding her spun around, drawing their weapons. The blond guard raised his sword, and in the split second before it came down on Ellimere's unprotected head, she let the spell go.

It was one of the best she had ever cast. It expanded like an explosion, throwing the men around her back at least ten yards, with a loud crack that echoed in the darkness. Four fell with a splash into the dark river, and a gout of smoke showed that the Death-spell on them had been destroyed, taking the men with it. She had not time for regret, or even pride in her spell casting. She knew that if she were Sameth, it would have thrown them all into the waters. However much she practised, she lacked the talent that she knew could save her.

Her spell had another consequence, though. Several of the Guards who remained upon the landing stage came running to her aid. Cynel swiftly cut the throat of the one closest to her, but was forced instantly back by two others. Ellimere dived at one of them and he brought his huge sword up with lethal force, jarring her swords so badly that her head snapped back involuntarily. She whipped both around her head, meeting his sword with one and his shoulder, in a spray of bright blood, with the other. Before she could finish him off, she felt a blow to the side of her head and was thrown sideways violently, cracking her head on the splintered wooden landing. Another traitor had struck her with the shaft of his spear and she fell, momentarily stunned, to the ground. Her head was spinning, she couldn't see straight, the sounds of clashing weapons and shouting men filled her unprotected ears...

She blinked and normal vision returned, giving her a split second in which to roll out of the way and leap to her feet. The blond man was wrestling his sword out of the splintered wood of the landing stage, where her heart had been only seconds before. Swiftly she brought both of her swords across in a slashing motion, cutting the tendons in the back of his knees and, before he had a chance to scream, she brought both together to run him through, in head and heart. Leaping over his body, she spun round to see Eloië fighting her way back through the mass of fighting men to where Ellimere was.

Ellimere saw a man running to intercept Eloië, and she dodged an arrow to bring her swords up to meet his. Engaged as she was, the white flash on the edge of her vision hardly permeated her consciousness- she took it for a Charter Spell- and thanks to the other man's surprise, in seconds she had cut his throat with a well-aimed flick of her right-hand sword. The man she had just killed had not even fallen yet when someone slammed into her from behind, and, losing her footing, she fell forwards, her knees slamming onto the hard wooden landing stage, sending a jarring pain up her legs, before she pitched forward into the freezing water of the Ratterlin. Surfacing instantaneously, she saw something hit the water twenty yards away, sending up a huge plume of steam and sparks. She gasped as a wave of hot water hit her, forcing her to her smarting knees and filling her throat. Coughing and choking, she turned to see someone else doing the same thing.

"Johen?"

"The one and only" coughed Johen, who had a vicious-looking cut across one cheek and was bleeding profusely from a slash on his arm. "That... thing... revealed itself and dived straight for you. After your Blood, no doubt. Come on, Princess, let's get to shore." He grabbed her hand and started to pull her after him, but she wrenched it away.

"But- the Dead-"

"Look" he pointed and Ellimere saw that the Dead were scattering, although most were following the dozen or so of the traitorous Guards who were fleeing the scene. At first, Ellimere thought that they were under their command- and then, with a sickening realisation, she saw one of the Dead fall upon a man with a primal scream.

"One Life is as good as another now they've lost their master" said Johen quietly. "And they're the weaker target."

"We need to go" said Ellimere. She glanced at the landing stage, where most fighting had stopped. Within a minute, when she stepped back on to the bloodstained wooden planks, wincing at the pain in her knees and wrists, none of the traitors were left. They had paid for their victory, though- she could see at least ten dead Belisaere Guards, and lying there-

"Cynel!" she gasped, running to where her friend lay.

"Ellimere" groaned Cynel. "My leg- that thing hit me- I think it's broken". She coughed and blood sprayed from her mouth.

"Mages!" shouted Ellimere, trying to keep the panic from her voice. "To me!"

Immediately around a dozen men and women, those close enough and not already occupied with the injured, ran to her aid. Ellimere placed one hand on Cynel's abdomen, and another on her leg, ignoring the woman's gasp of pain. Behind her, she felt all the mages join her spell, and the Marks she called blossomed through the chain. Focusing hard, wishing not for the first time that evening that she had Sam's skill, she sent the spell into Cynel's body with a force so hard she stumbled back to land on the Guard behind her. Apologising hurriedly, she darted back to Cynel, who was lying down, her eyes closed. Ellimere's heart skipped a beat.

"That was one hell of a shock" muttered Cynel through chapped and bloody lips, her eyes fluttering open. "But it seems... to have worked..." Ellimere gasped and relieved tears filled her eyes.

"Here" said Johen, kneeling beside the blonde woman and offering an arm. "Princess, would you-" Ellimere immediately grasped Cynel's other arm and they hauled her up. Her face was white with pain-for, tired as they were, even twelve Mages had not managed to fully heal her crushed leg.

"Is it alright until we reach Barhedrin?" said Ellimere, anxiously looking at Cynel, who smiled faintly and nodded. Ellimere and Johen guided her over to where several men were rigging up a portable stretcher. Two other men were already being carried along the road that led to Barhedrin.

"Swords out, men!" barked Lyndon, who seemed to have a broken arm and yet was still helping to support a young man while his stretcher was prepared. "Archers at the ready, and Mages, be prepared! Princess Ellimere, are you alright?"

"Yes, thanks to Guardsman Johen" called back Ellimere, grasping his bloodied hand in thanks. He nodded to her, smiled briefly, and then walked over to where two guards were performing the funeral rites on their lost men, kneeling down and putting his hand on one man's shoulder for assistance. Ellimere swallowed and blinked hard before she started crying. Cynel may have lived, but others had died. She could have been one of them. With that thought in mind, she drew both of her swords, and walked up to where Lyndon was organising the Guard into ranks.

"We must use truth-spells on the remaining Guards from Qyrre" she said quietly. "I thought it was just High Bridge that had been infiltrated... How many are left?"

"Eleven, I believe" said Lyndon. "Of course, Your Highness. I NEED NINE MAGES!" he barked, causing Ellimere to jump again. She never would have guessed that this quiet, calm man was so loud in an emergency. "You can perform the spell, Princess Ellimere?" he said quietly, and she nodded, turning to the first of the men from Qyrre, who could not have been older than herself. He looked terrified, all colour had drained from his face except the blood that leaked from one of his temples.

"Quiet" she whispered, closing her eyes and bringing two fingers to touch his Charter Mark. He shivered at her touch.

"Your name?" she said.

"Emeses, milady" he answered. His Mark flashed warm under her fingers.

"Did you know of the plot?"

"No, milady" Again, she felt the warmth of the true Charter touch her.

"Are you under obligation to anyone except your superior in the Guard?"

"No, milady" Again, the response was true. She nodded to Lyndon. Emeses tapped her on the shoulder, his lip quivering.

"Milady, if I had known, I would have- I- forgive me" he said, his eyes downcast. She smiled at him.

"There is nothing to forgive, Emeses. Draw your sword, Guardsman" he nodded, saluted, and managed a weak smile as Ellimere walked on to where the single lying Guard had just been dispatched. His eyes fluttered as she looked at him, and then he was still.

"Burn it," said Ellimere coldly "And then we march to Barhedrin."

All around her, the Guards, bloodied and bruised, hurried to obey her orders. In her mind, she could hear Sameth whispering "Slavedriver!"

"Well," she told the imaginary Sameth "I believe in this one case it is excusable". Shaking her brother out of her mind, she turned to face the road, and conjured a small Charter light. Surrounded as they were by dangers, it felt like a long way to Barhedrin Hill.

* * *


	11. Chapter 11: Tonight, We Will See

**A/N: Oh, dear, I do apologize for rather neglecting this (and all of my other stories) as of late! In my defense, life is absolutely manic. Enjoy! Riddle Xx**

**CHAPTER 11**

Barhedrin Hill, the Cloven Crest of old, had become unrecognisable to those few Ancelstierrans and Old Kingdom citizens that saw it with any regularity. The heavily fortified Guard base at the crest of the hill still looked the same, as did the steep, rocky hill itself. However, for several acres around, the ground was covered with white squares- tents. Not as flimsy as they looked, these makeshift homes were imbued with Charter Marks of strength, of warmth, of stillness and of comfort. Many soldiers lived in this camp. Ellimere had moved very fast indeed, and the past week had been absolutely exhausting.

Not that one would think it, looking at her. She was at a table with the six most highly-ranked Guards present at the base, discussing Guard shifts, rotas, provisions and, most importantly, sightings of the Dead.

"Four Hands, not three days ago" said Eloië, twisting one blonde braid around a gloved finger. "There is also the question of these reports from the Red Lake, your Highness..." as if on cue, all present glanced out of the window, where in the distance a huge black mass was visible against the darkening sky. Flashes of lightning regularly lit it up, and Ellimere looked at it feeling slightly queasy before turning away from the window.

"I have heard much of these reports also, your Highness" said Iysel, the other woman in the group. She was rather aggressive and standoffish, seemingly out of annoyance that after twelve years service, three at the dangerous outpost of Barhedrin, she was being bossed around by a girl of nineteen. Ellimere rather thought she was insecure either about her height- at least four inches shorter than everyone else at the table, or her looks, which were rather plain and horsy- but of course did not mention it to anyone, although she sometimes felt like it when the other woman was being particularly arrogant.

"I rather think that something is happening at the Red Lake that you should be addressing, instead of wasting your time with these patrols, Your Highness, if it is not too bold to say so"

"It most certainly is, Guardswoman Iysel" she said coldly. "I am the commander-in-chief of this force, and unless I invite you to give your opinion, you will _not _question my methods, either to me or to anyone _else_. Is that understood?"

"Yes, your highness. My most sincere apologies" said Iysel, though she still looked ready to punch someone. Ellimere stared at her until the older woman lowered her eyes. The faces of the others round the table were still impassive, although Ellimere thought Eloië betrayed a small hint of a smirk.

"I have heard all the reports from the Red Lake, and I do not doubt I know more than anyone else at this table, both from my own informers and from my cousins of the Clayr" she said, in the imperious tone her etiquette teacher had so often admired. "Suffice it to say that following their advice, and my own judgement, I have dealt with the situation accordingly, as have two people I know who are rather more, shall we say, _skilled _in dealing with such problems than I am" Nods all around the table, even from the chastised Iysel, reassured Ellimere that her bluff had been called. The Clayr had told her to remain at Barhedrin, true... but beyond that, her plan was as hazy as Iysel had thought it was. She just had to know whether her parents and Sameth were alive!

"So, your Highness, the patrols to the East-" said Eloië. "Are we to scale them down and concentrate on the West?"

"Yes" said Ellimere "Except I want to change our methods. Whoever is causing these... things to happen at the Red Lake is likely to notice soon what we are up to. My suggestion is we revert to the original number of Guards doing the patrols in that direction, double the number to the Wall and coast, double the number going North towards Roble's Town. I don't want to risk our men, but I need to assess the situation in more detail, without getting too close to... that place" the other men and women around the table nodded, and after going through the plans once more for clarity, and assigning a patrol to each Guard, Ellimere ended the meeting.

"I wish we could just finish this" she said, her head in her hands, to the empty room. "I can't stand the tension any more, not knowing what to do, not knowing when or from what direction trouble is going to come" she took a deep breath and sat up, readjusting her circlet and combing her hair with her fingers. Standing up, she spent a moment or two checking herself in the mirror, brushing down her clothes and gently polishing her pins of rank with a sleeve. After a few moments, she sighed heavily, and then sat back down at her desk, pulling towards her a sheaf of parchments- some covered with writing, some containing just a Charter Mark. This was the intelligence gathered from both friends and spies from all across the Kingdom, from which she was trying to piece together what had happened to Sameth, to Nicholas, at the Red Lake... it was confusing. She wished, not for the first time, that the Clayr were able to See this in time for them to be able to prevent it.

"Two constables confronted by a necromancer... best room at the inn... used a Death Spell on them while they carried the King's protection... oh, that was _definitely _Sameth... a day or so after he must have left... hmm... come in?" for someone had just knocked on her door. "Come in!" she called more loudly.

"Ellimere" said Tonin, sticking her head around the door. "Look out of the window. You need to see this" Ellimere raised an eyebrow.

"If this is the entire Belisaere regiment spelling out a rude word on the ground, then I hardly think this is the time, Toto-" Tonin shook her head rapidly and pointed at the small window.

"Please, Ellie, just look out the window! Look!"

Ellimere, puzzled, jumped off her chair and ran to the window, so fast that her hair fanned out behind her as though caught in an invisible wind.

"It's the Clayr!" she shrieked. "There are _hundreds _of them..." and indeed there were. Lined up in rows seven-deep, the Clayr were marching towards Barhedrin, less than a league away. Ellimere didn't need the confirmation of sight to know that two of the first seven were Sanar and Ryelle, for even at this distance, the similarity in their height and gait were unmistakable. These Clayr looked battle-ready, their star-studded black and green banners flashing brilliantly in the midday sun, their swords glowing with Charter Magic, their white robes billowing in the breeze. Ellimere stopped dead. After about ten seconds, Tonin hesitantly asked,

"Princess Ellimere? What are you going to do?"

"Meet them, of course!" said Ellimere, in surprise. "You're coming with me. Fetch Johen, Kayvin, Ilvid, Lyndon and Eloië, immediately, and meet me outside the front entrance in two minutes. Everyone else is to _stay where they are_, and if I hear as much as one smutty joke when our visitors are present then the speaker will be banished from the Kingdom with immediate effect. Go!" Tonin nodded, saluted, and dashed from the room.

She grabbed her sword and bow, checked herself in the mirror, and quickly slung her red and gold cloak around her shoulders. It was only then when she realised exactly what she had said to Tonin.

"When did I get so _bossy_?" she asked herself, with more than a little horror.

*

"Sanar! Ryelle!" Ellimere ran at the two women, who were as good as aunts to her, and gave them both hugs, and two kisses on each cheek. The rest of her Guard escort stood with their hands clasped firmly behind their backs. Most looked uncomfortable, except of course for Johen, who appeared to be eyeing up the younger Clayr. He caught Ellimere's glare and grinned.

"Old habits die hard" he whispered. His sister stamped on his foot and he let out a whimper. Ellimere turned to Sanar and Ryelle again. Flanking them were several other Clayr she recognised- Vancelle, the Chief Librarian, Mirelle, the head of the Rangers, Kirrith, the Guardian of the Young...

"We have tidings" said Sanar and Ryelle together- Ellimere was glad to see that everyone else seemed just as unnerved at this as she did- "Of great danger, Princess Ellimere."

"We need to speak with you" said Ryelle, placing a hand on Ellimere's shoulder.

"And possibly try and See more" said Sanar.

"Which is why we have brought a Seven Hundred and Eighty Four of the sisters of the Clayr" said Ryelle, waving her other hand carelessly at the white clad mass of women standing behind her.

"I had noticed" said Ellimere weakly. The Clayr had always made her nervous, but with this ability they had of speaking at the same time and finishing each other's sentences, they made her feel as if they could read her mind.

"We shall camp at this spot" said Sanar

"At the foot of the hill" said Ryelle

"As it is at the base of Starmount and Sunfall" said Sanar

"And tonight..." said Ryelle, her eyes clouding over suddenly with what Ellimere realised was the onset of the Sight, turning to her sister and clasping her hand-

"_We shall see_" chorused the Clayr, their voices echoing around the shadowy hilltop, prompting those Guards who remained unawares on the Hill into silence.

*

"You must have seen much, of great importance, to march all the way down from the Glacier" said Ellimere, who was sitting on a green blanket of silk-covered canvas in a small clearing at the centre of the Clayr's camp, which had been rapidly erected at the foot of the hill of Barhedrin.

"We have Seen" said the twins, both taking a sip of wine provided by Ellimere.

"As for the reliability of our visions..." said Ryelle

"We do not know for certain" said Sanar, the similarity of her voice making it seem as though it were one person speaking, not two.

"For all we have found out, it could be too late" said Ryelle "But we will show you what we know"

"Show me...?" said Ellimere, utterly confounded. Show her what?

"Show you" chorused the twins.

"An ancient magic" said Sanar "To make the Sight available to those with the Blood of the Charter, for the Sisters of the Clayr to show what they will. Not used for centuries..."

"Unless we count our Sister Lirael" injected Ryelle "Who we introduced to this magic not three weeks hence."

"And Sabriel" said Sanar with a smile "Who did not know the magic that she Saw"

"Two more Sisters" they chorused enigmatically.

"Lirael?" said Ellimere, completely confused now. Who was Lirael? Watching the twins talk was like watching a verbal game of tennis- you never knew where to look.

"You will See" chorused the two women, both smiling. "You will Know."

"Well, as long as that's a promise" muttered Ellimere. "Because, to be frank, I haven't the foggiest-what the-?" for she had suddenly noticed that she, Sanar and Ryelle were no longer alone. The clearing seemed bigger than before, whether by the toil of the Clayr or by enchantment she could not know. Filling the space were over seven hundred of the Clayr, their white robes giving them an ethereal glow in the light of the moon, which was almost full.

"Normally we use the ice of the Observatory" said Ryelle. "But since it's not available..."

"The moon will have to do" finished Sanar with a smile.

"We are the Voice of the Nine Day Watch" called the twins, raising their hands to clash together ivory wands Ellimere hadn't even noticed they were carrying.

"Let us begin!" they shouted, echoed by the shouts of the Clayr in their concentric rings, who suddenly began to grasp hands, working outwards to the Clayr on the very edges of the group. A pause, stagnant, in which Ellimere looked up to Barhedrin. Every Guard there was gazing down in wonder. Many had never even seen a Clayr- none would have seen this.

"Let us See!" shouted Sanar and Ryelle, with another clash of their wands. The crowd shouted back, but Ellimere was hardly aware, as the instant the Clayr held out their hands, magic began to flood from their outstretched fingertips. Like a golden tornado, it flew up, but before the huge column of Charter Magic could hit the moon, Ellimere felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Sanar, holding an ornate green bottle. Her sister raised her wand in readiness, and before Ellimere even knew what was happening, Sanar had tossed the contents of the bottle high into the air.

_Water_, Ellimere realised, and it began to fall, but the sudden movement of Ryelle's wand stopped it in midair, freezing it into ice.

"Look and Learn" chorused the sisters, before turning their heads to the moon. Ellimere looked up too, through the ice, to where the magic from the Daughters of the Clayr hit the moon, spreading out like oil on water, forming a beautiful picture, which was somehow blurred. Ellimere closed her eyes, trying to clear her vision, and when she opened them she gasped.

*

A black-haired girl about her own age was standing at one end of a hall she recognized as the Great Hall of Abhorsen's House. She was quite pretty, with fair skin that was slightly burnt at her cheeks, and Ellimere immediately recognized her clothing from when she had visited Sanar and Ryelle in the Clayr. This woman was a Librarian of the Great Library of the Clayr, for all of her strange looks. Ellimere looked more closely. There was something of herself and her mother in the girl's hair, in her deep brown eyes. She was gazing blankly past Ellimere's head. She turned.

It was the great stained-glass window the girl was looking at, her mouth slightly open, and her breath coming fast.

"What is it? Are you all right?" said a voice from behind Ellimere, and she didn't have to turn to see that it was her little brother. The relief she felt just hearing his voice was like a ten ton weight being lifted from her shoulders. She kept looking at the girl. _Who was she?_

"I... I don't know how to say this" said the girl, who looked dazed, as though she was about to faint. She suddenly started, and turned to a sending that was hovering behind her. Pulling off the waistcoat that signified her status as a Librarian, she handed it to the magical servant. In return, it gave her... Ellimere had to peer more closely, as she wasn't quite sure she could believe her eyes.

Smoothing out the surcoat, the girl said, in a tone of disbelief- "I must be half Abhorsen... in fact, I think I'm your mother's half-sister. Your grandfather was my father. I mean, I'm your aunt. Half-aunt. Sorry" Ellimere's jaw dropped, but no sooner than she could get a look at this girl than the vision began to blur. Seconds later, everything began to fade into blackness.

*

It was Mogget, who was delicately licking one paw.

"I have served the Abhorsens for many centuries, so I tend to know what's what. Once I realised that Sam was not the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, I kept my eyes open for the real one to turn up, because the bells wouldn't have appeared unless her arrival was imminent"

_The Bells!_ thought Ellimere. _The bells Mother found at the House_...

But everything was soon blurry, and Ellimere shut her eyes in preparation.

*

A young man lay on a dirty floor, his clothes ragged, his blond hair straggled and unkempt. Nicholas, Ellimere thought, though she hadn't seen him in more than ten years. Some evil shone behind his eyes, gave Free Magic fire to the words that he was singing, in an acrid voice that was not his own-

"_That's the Seven, but what of the Nine-_

_What of the two who chose not to shine?_

_The Eighth did hide, hide all away,_

_But the Seven caught him and made him pay._

_The Ninth was strong and fought with might,_

_But lone Orannis was put out of the light,_

_Broken in two and buried under hill,_

_For ever to lie there, wishing us ill-"_

The vision splintered- the terrible voice that had filled Ellimere's ears was gone...

*

It was replaced by a huge explosion. Ellimere instinctively ducked, shrank to the ground, although the shrapnel flew through her unsubstantial body. She was in Corvere, or some other part of Ancelstierre, though the air was filled with smoke, and the acrid smell of metal, and the laughter of men-

"To the boat!" shouted someone nearby, and Ellimere recognized Barlest, her father's principal bodyguard. He was clutching a gun and covered with blood. "Boat, boat, boat!" she saw her parents- barely a glimpse, but they were alive. Her world again fogged over.

*

It was her mother, in a room that was as familiar to Ellimere as the back of her hand. Wyverly College. In her hand she clutched a piece of paper, with three Charter Marks on its surface. Ellimere recognized her own bold, flowing script.

"The important fact is that the Clayr have finally Seen something. Anstyr's Day... we need to consult the almanac. That must be soon... very soon... we will have to go on immediately..."

*

A flash. A cold river, dank and grey, stretching out as far as the eye could see. The woman- girl- no, woman that Ellimere had seen before, accompanied by some sort of hound, the Charter Marks on her red leather collar so similar to Mogget's, though Ellimere had only seen the cat-thing a handful of times. She remembered. Was this Death, the ground on which her mother had secured so many hard-earned victories?

The woman approached a wall of mist, which seemed to distort Ellimere's mind and vision even as she looked at it. It felt bone-numbingly cold. The girl spoke- words that seemed to cut through Ellimere's ears, burn her senses, even as she tried to shut her eyes. Words of Free Magic. The mists parted.

*

A wasteland. Small fires burned, a hot wind blew an acrid smell across what seemed to be a desert, around the figures of seven people and a dog, who approached... Ellimere looked at it. A shining sphere, suspended in midair.

*

Two shining silver hemispheres met. A wave of force, of heat, assaulted her senses. A voice, a terrible voice, that Ellimere had heard before. Singing.

"Free!" it boomed, making her very bones tremble.

*

"I need to tell you what must be done!" it was the dark-haired woman again, bloodied, her voice edged with panic. "There's no time and I need... I need to tell you what must be done. We have a chance, Sam! I didn't think we would, but the Clayr did See who was needed and they're here. But we have to act now!" the woman's voice briefly faded, and Ellimere prepared herself for another vision, but her sight cleared and the woman spoke again. "You need to get a drop of blood from me, your parents, Ellimere, and Sanar and Ryelle, and bind it with yours into Nehima with the metal from the panpipes-" a whirlwind of voices, and then an echo, a panicked voice- "Look away and close your eyes!", and then Ellimere heard a voice, a familiar voice- _her _voice.

"I stand for Dyrim against you"- then everything faded into blackness.

*

Ellimere slowly came to, her senses readjusting as she realised she was on the ground. She could only see whiteness- and then she realised it was the Clayr, crowded around her.

"You Saw" said the sisters, each taking one of her elbows. Ellimere shook her head to clear her senses, and then looked from one sister to another, and up at the moon.

"One of the Nine" she said, her voice unconsciously taking on the tone of those she had heard in her head, the voices of the Clayr, of prophecy. "The Ninth Bright Shiner"

"Orannis" chorused the twins. "The greatest and most fearsome of the Nine" and, when Ellimere did not speak-

"There is a way"


	12. Chapter 12: Flight to Fight

**A/N - Thanks so much for the recent reviews, people! They spurred me to actually finish this: the final chapter! I said this fic wouldn't be long... anyway, cheers to MissMina33, Annie Kate and Jess for reviews. Riddle Xx**

**CHAPTER 12**

Twenty minutes later, and the twins and Ellimere were in their roomy, star-covered tent, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"I still don't understand what's happening" said Ellimere. "A bright shiner, one of the Nine? How does that relate to what is happening at the Red Lake? And who is the girl?"

"Calm, Ellimere" said Ryelle, handing her some chamomile tea and taking a small sip of her own. "We will explain. We know almost exactly what must be done, and just one more gathering of the Watch should tell us where we need to go."

"We shall tell you everything now" said Sanar. "What we showed you were visions we have spent many days trying to refine, and we are far from the Glacier. We have seen more than we are capable of showing you. Some of the visions we have shown you have already come to pass, preserved by our magic so we could show you."

"The woman in the visions" said Ryelle "Is a young cousin of ours, a Daughter of the Clayr by the name of Lirael. Her mother, Arielle, left the Glacier when she was very small and died not long after. She never divulged the identity of Lirael's father, which, as I'm sure you can imagine, caused much curiosity amongst the Clayr."

"Her features were unusual for the Clayr" said Ellimere. "But not for-"

"The Abhorsens" chorused the twins.

"Lirael never really fitted in with the Clayr" said Sanar. "She never gained the Sight, which made her shy and introverted, and the situation grew worse as she got older, so at fourteen she was given a post in the Great Library to occupy her time. She was even more unusual in the respect that, as well as being Unsighted, she was also Unseen. We never saw her in the visions, until several weeks ago. Then we saw something strange,"

"A vision of our sister Lirael" continued the other twin. "On a boat, in the Red Lake. The sun was high, and she wasn't alone. A young man was with her, an ill young man, his dark blond hair unkempt, a sickness within him-"

"Nicholas" interrupted Ellimere. "I saw him too! He is possessed, then, by-"

"The Destroyer" said Sanar "Has Nicholas. And we believe that his Ancelstierran origins have been useful to It."

"How so?" said Ellimere.

"We Saw something else" said Ryelle. "A valley, with a lake in the middle. Wires covered it, with great metal poles sticking out of the ground, hundreds and hundreds of them. The stars were differently placed in the sky, so it must have been in Ancelstierre. We believe some method has been found, using the Ancelstierran technology, to join the hemispheres together and set It free"

"So we shouldn't have been worried about letting things _in _to the Old Kingdom" said Ellimere, who was furious with herself for this major oversight. "We should have been worried about letting things _out_"

"We cannot prevent that now" said Sanar. "Nothing can, and we mustn't try. Only one strand of the future have we seen that does not end in the destruction of the world, and the Destroyer is, for a time, to be freed" Ellimere's eyes widened.

"It will have to be for a _very _short time, then" she said. "What are we to do once It is released? Kill it?" The twins both laughed- not unkindly- and shook their heads.

"No, no" said Ryelle. "It cannot be killed by any magic we Mages possess."

"But we can Bind it" said Sanar. "Lirael has found out how: we merely need to bring her those of the Blood she needs to complete the enchantment, and hope we reach her in time"

"Who do we need?" said Ellimere, sitting bolt upright. "We haven't the time to send messages, let alone travel to Ancelstierre ourselves!"

"Calm" said Ryelle, laying a soothing hand on her shoulder. "Seven are needed. Seven of the Blood. My sister and I will accompany you, and we shall fetch your parents. Lirael and Sameth are journeying to the place as we speak, with the Seventh, who is also the Third of the Seven"

Ellimere felt dizzy. Seventh, and Third of the Seven? Did the twins _have _to speak in riddles?

"But that means we need to send a letter to my parents"

"We do" agreed the Clayr. "If we only knew where to send it to"

"That's easy" said Ellimere. "Where my parents were in the vision. Wyverley College. I'll handle that"

"And we need another Paperwing" said Sanar.

"We flew two down from the Glacier" said Ryelle "But we thought your parents would be able to get where they would be needed without our help."

"We don't have _time_!" said Ellimere desperately. "Mother was saying she needs to join us by Anstyr's Day?"

"Yes" said Sanar. "In three days' time we need to fly to Ancelstierre, our visions tell us."

"We can make a Paperwing in that time, with the help of our Sisters, and the Guard's assistance" said Ryelle. "We have the materials"

"Can't we just all squeeze into two?" said Ellimere hopefully. The older women shook their heads.

"A Paperwing is spelled to carry only two human passengers" said Ryelle. "The Charter Magic in its wings cannot carry any more than that. It can absorb the magic given off, and you may find it out of your control"

"Well, it was worth a shot" Ellimere muttered to herself. "Lirael said she was my half-aunt. How can that be? I missed most of what she was saying"

"She is your mother's half-sister" said Sanar, a kindly smile on her beautiful face. "By your grandfather Terciel. Of course, your mother was never aware of this, and Terciel never knew Lirael"

"He must have died shortly after he met..."

"Arielle" said both twins, together.

"Arielle" agreed Ellimere. An aunt? She had to concede that Lirael resembled her mother and herself, but for them not to have known her, after all these years... and Sameth! Not the Abhorsen-in-Waiting after all! Did he know this already? Was that why he had been so bad this past year? She knew he didn't like to talk about the Dead, or the bells, but she assumed that, like Sabriel, he was just naturally secretive...

"I need to send that letter" said Ellimere. "Will a carrier pigeon be able to cross the Wall, do you think?" the sisters looked at each other.

"Normally, no" said Ryelle. "But the Wall is weakened by the intrusion of Free Magic and the evil that has been able to cross it. I'm sure a small creature like that will be able to slip through the magical gateway"

"I'll send a second to the Crossing Point, just in case" said Ellimere. "It'll be slower, but it's good to have a back-up" Both sisters nodded.

"Why not use a messenger hawk?" said Sanar.

"The magic fades the further away you are from the Wall" said Ellimere. "Unless the wind is blowing strongly from the North, it is unlikely to remember my message. Besides, in the vision mother was holding a piece of paper" Sanar nodded, satisfied, and stood up, closely followed by her sister, in a rustle of silk. Ellimere could hear the tell-tale clinks of mail armour under their flowing dresses.

"We must See where we are to go" said Sanar "And we are calling the Watch. We will send for you when we find out what is to be done" Ellimere nodded, and stood up, kissing each Clayr twice on each cheek, as was customary. She turned to exit the tent and walk back up to Barhedrin. In the distance, the sound of thunder echoed ominously across the hillsides, and Ellimere unconsciously picked up her pace. She nodded to the Guards at the gate at the base of the hill, and headed, sore and tired, up the hill, until she finally reached the base itself, ignoring the curious looks her subjects were giving her. Finally, she reached her small room, where the messenger pigeon was in a small basket by her bed, asleep thanks to the Charter-spell she had laid on its breast back in her rather more splendid room at the Palace. Picking up a piece of paper, she picked up a quill, and, after hesitating, dipped it into the pot of black ink, as opposed to her usual purple. Well, it was how she had seen it in the Clayr's vision, and she didn't want to tempt fate, especially now.

She wrote three Charter Marks on the paper, for memory, speech and life, and then touched two fingers to her forehead. She would have to hurry- the Clayr would doubtless send for her soon.

"Mother! Father! I hope you get this very quickly. The Clayr have Seen much more, too much to tell in this message. There is great danger, beyond our imagining. I am at Barhedrin with the Guard, the Trained Bands and a Seven Hundred and Eighty-Four of the Clayr. The Clayr are trying to See what we must do. They say Sam is alive and fighting, and that whatever we do, you must get to Barhedrin by Anstyr's Day or it will be too late. We have to take the Paperwings somewhere. Oh-" in the terrible news contained in the other visions, she had completely forgotten about Lirael. "I have an aunt, apparently your half-sister-"

"Princess?" said a voice from the door.

"What? Don't interrupt-" but it was too late, Ellimere's concentration had gone, and the Marks stopped glowing, sinking back into the paper. Sighing, she turned to see Johen, looking at her in concern.

"I was told to come and fetch you, the Clayr say they have found where you need to go"

"Oh. Okay, thanks, Johen. I'll just send this" she gestured to the paper, and picked it up, folding it neatly and sealing it with purple wax and her personal seal, a sword spearing the Charter Mark for royalty. Next, she gently touched her fingers to the Charter Mark on the messenger pigeon's breast. It's eyes fluttered open and she quickly laid another spell on it- marks for bravery, for fast flight, for purpose, for direction, and, once its message was removed, marks for choice and freedom. Gently she tied the message to the pigeon's leg, and released it to flutter away in the night air towards the south. Johen watched silently, until she walked towards the door and he put out a hand to stop her.

"Where are you going?" he said, eyes dark.

"To see the Clayr, you idiot" said Ellimere. "Like you just told me to!"

"That's not what I meant, Princess, and _you know it_" he glared at her, and she, straightening up, glared right back at him.

"Across the Wall" she said, abruptly. "In three days" he seemed to have nothing else to say to that, and lowered his eyes, nodding and stepping aside to let her out.

*

"What have you Seen?" said Ellimere, stepping into Sanar and Ryelle's tent without bothering with the formalities. The two women stood up and turned to her.

"We must cross the wall, and find a place called Forwin Mill, by a lake" said Ryelle. "We know the route, and it will be clear from the air"

"To the South West" said Sanar. "Five or six leagues from the Wall, I think."

"We will have time" said Ryelle "As long as your parents make it, and we are successful in our construction of a Paperwing"

"I've never made a Paperwing" said Ellimere, feeling nervous.

"Neither have we" said the twins together.

"The Clayr may have a weakness for the future" said Sanar, with a confident smile, "but there's no time like the present for such experiments"

*

"It's an aeroplane!" called Ellimere excitedly to the twins, who were waiting at the base of the tower. "I think it's mother and father! They made it!" Though the twins and Ellimere, along with the best Mages from the Clayr and Guard, had managed to construct a very serviceable Paperwing, and painted it in the colours of the Abhorsen, there was always the chance that Ellimere's parents didn't get her messages- or couldn't act upon them. The sight of the small plane flying crookedly towards the ground went some way towards loosening the knot in Ellimere's breast. She felt almost faint with relief.

That is, until she noticed the plane's propellers were no longer turning.

"Damn it!" she shrieked. "The engine cut out when they crossed the wall!" she sprinted down the spiral staircase. "Sanar! Ryelle! Quick, take my hand! A spell for levitation and stability!" the sisters, their eyesight keen for their ages, had seen the Ancelstierran construct and instantly understood what Ellimere wanted.

"The valley, over there" said Sanar, pointing. "Past the Clayr's camp. Sanar and I will keep the craft aloft. You, run down to the base of the hill and use the Charter to direct it from there" Ellimere nodded and took off at a sprint down the hill, watched by many curious Guards. Halfway down, she felt the tingle of the Charter. She didn't need to look back to know what the Clayr were doing- their hands would be aloft, the Marks for stillness and flight spinning up towards her parent's craft.

She ran as fast as she could, thanking the Charter that she did more exercise than Sameth, who surely would have collapsed by now. Ten minutes later, she reached the base of the hill, and five minutes' sprint later she had reached the small valley, where, in times long past, a stream must have run. Thankfully, it was, for a quarter of a league or so, relatively straight and less rocky than the hills surrounding them. She turned to where she could see her parent's craft. Sanar and Ryelle had managed to line it up with the valley, for which Ellimere was grateful, but she could see that her cousins were growing weary- the flood of marks from their outstretched hands was slowing, the marks glowing with less brilliance. Taking a breath, Ellimere raised her own arms, shut her eyes, and felt with her conscience for the aeroplane.

She could feel it, being bombarded by Marks. It would soon fall apart under the magical onslaught. She began to visualise Marks herself. Working magic on inanimate objects did not come as easily to her as it did to Sam, but she was a competent Mage nevertheless.

It seemed the Charter itself lent her some grace- or she was concentrating harder than she normally did- for the Marks practically flooded her mind. Marks for summoning, for strength, for balance, for stability, for speed stormed through her mind and left her open arms. She could feel them hit the aeroplane, where she could feel three- three?- living souls, and for one terrible moment she thought it hadn't worked. But slowly, slowly the craft began to move, gathering speed. Eyes still shut, Ellimere almost forgot to duck as the plane whistled over her head, and her concentration broke as the plane hit the ground. She spun around, flinging Marks of stillness towards the craft, which began to slow, and eventually ground to a halt several hundred yards from where she stood. "Dad! Mother!" she called, sprinting towards the aeroplane and momentarily slowing as she saw who was with them, just extracting herself from the cockpit. "Flick! So _you_ flew the plane!" she said, joyfully throwing her arms around Felicity, who was the younger sister of Ellimere's best friend from Wyverley, Rubella. "You have your licence?"

"Of course" said Felicity, grinning at Ellimere. "Your parents didn't trust my flying, though!"

"Of course we did!" said Sabriel with a smile. Touchstone had staggered off to be sick behind a conveniently located rock.

"Come to the Guard Base!" said Ellimere, taking the hands of Felicity and her mother and pulling them after her. "We need to leave almost immediately, mother, the Clayr were worried you wouldn't make it- DAD! HURRY UP!" Touchstone, who was walking, ashen faced, towards them, swore and broke into a grudging run.

*

"Sabriel, Touchstone!" called Sanar, who, with the help of many Clayr and Guards, had carried the three Paperwings down to the base of the hill. Sabriel and Touchstone ran to the twins to question what they had Seen, and settle the mystery of the aunt Ellimere had mentioned.

Felicity gaped at the magical craft, and Ellimere, with a start, realised that in the confusion of the last twenty minutes she had completely forgotten to sort out Felicity's journey home.

"Eloië!" she called, beckoning the older woman down from her post at the entrance to the base.

"Your Highness" she said upon reaching them, saluting to Ellimere and nodding to the nervous Felicity. "Can I help you?"

"Yes" said Ellimere. "This is my friend Felicity. She comes from Ancelstierre, and I would like to get her safely back home as soon as possible. Could you get together a complement of the Guard and escort her to the Crossing Point, and then make sure she is escorted safely back to Wyverley College? She has done the Kingdom an enormous favour and I think the least we can do is make sure she reaches home safely"

"But of course, Your Highness. I am Eloië, milady. If you follow me, we'll get some stronger clothes for you" Felicity, looking down, started in surprise to see that the seams of her school uniform were beginning to fall apart.

"If you go with Eloië, she'll get you fed up and you can head off home" said Ellimere, hugging Felicity and kissing her twice on each cheek. "I can't thank you enough. You put yourself in danger for us today"

"Of course not!" said Felicity, laughing at the serious expression on Ellimere's face. "Ellie, I would be more likely to die if I refused to bring your parents back than if I did. You don't owe me anything."

"But I'd feel so much better if I could pay you back" insisted Ellimere, taking her hand.

"Oh, that's easy," laughed Felicity. "Let me, Rubella and a few of the old gang come and stay in the Old Kingdom in the winter!"

"If there's an Old Kingdom left, I'd love to" said Ellimere with a smile. "Until this winter, then!"

"Until winter" said Felicity firmly. "I have no doubt you'll succeed. With what I just saw you do, I know you'll be fine" Ellimere nodded, a lump in her throat at Felicity's naivety, and waved as she ran after Eloië towards the Guard's base.

"Ellimere" called Sabriel, waving. "Hurry!" Ellimere started running towards the gate, outside which the Paperwings stood in readiness, but someone grabbed her shoulder. She turned around to see Tonin and Johen.

"Good luck, Ellimere" said Tonin, whose eyes were bright with tears. For the first time, she threw her arms around Ellimere and hugged her tightly. "You'll be fine. I'll see you soon" but the waver in her voice made Ellimere think that her old friend was just as nervous as she was.

"Thanks, Totoe" she said. "See you in a few days" her friend nodded, and ran towards the Base, where the rest of the Guard was occupied with stand-to.

She turned to Johen.

"You'll be late" she said with a slight smile. He grinned back.

"So will you"

Neither moved.

"Good luck, Princess" he said. "You'll-"

"Say 'you'll be fine' and I'll cut off a vital part of your anatomy" cut in Ellimere with a grin.

"Alright, I won't" said Johen. "You're a tough girl, Princess. You can take care of yourself"

"Let's just hope I can take care of the rest of the Kingdom" said Ellimere, wringing her hands.

"Well, I for one am perfectly happy to leave myself in your hands" said Johen, a sparkle in his eyes that wasn't quite comparable with the severity of the situation. "If you die on me, Princess, I'll follow you into Death and make it a living hell" Ellimere laughed brightly. Suddenly, the future looked a little less grim.

"I'll see you at the Wall" said Johen. "I'm escorting your friend, and then I'm waiting for you"

"Sure you're not waiting for your King and Queen, as is appropriate?" said Ellimere with a grin.

"Positive. When have I ever been appropriate?" said Johen, suddenly inclining his head towards her and capturing her lips with his own in a sudden kiss, that managed, to Ellimere, to be rough and gentle at the same time. She stiffened for a moment, and then snaked one hand into his curly hair to kiss him back with the same fever, revelling in the feel of his hard, muscular body against hers, his hands tight around her waist. A few moments later, thought it felt to Ellimere like hours, they broke apart. Johen was looking at the ground, his eyes shadowed. Ellimere glanced around. Luckily the wall blocked her from her mother's sight, and none of the Guards were facing their direction. Johen looked at her.

"Sorry-"

"No, you're not" smiled Ellimere. "Neither am I. I'll see you soon" and she ran down the hill, vaulting into her Paperwing.

"About time!" called Sabriel, as she and the twins began to whistle the Charter Marks they needed to take them to Ancelstierre, across the Wall, towards the greatest danger any of them had ever faced. Looking at her father, she was surprised to see that he was giving her a menacing look.

"We'll talk about _that,_" he called, jerking his head towards the Guard base with a scowl "Later!" Gulping and yet wanting to laugh at the same time, Ellimere turned to her craft, reaching for the Charter. Soon she was aloft.

Ellimere felt a strange sense of exhilaration. She was scared, but it always felt better to be doing something, and, with the warmth of the Charter around her and the wind tossing her long hair back from her face, she felt a sense of purpose, as she always did when she felt there were wrongs to be righted. Calling up the winds to her command, she wheeled her eager craft to the South, where, on the horizon, she could see the thunderclouds, black and ominous in the light of day. Glancing down, she saw the Clayr, and the Guard, one large mass, standing as if in silent tribute to the three Paperwings. She could see only three people moving- a man and two women, standing a little way apart from the others, waving to the red and gold Paperwing that darted and shone in the sun. She smiled, whistled one last Mark, and soon she had left Barhedrin Hill far behind.


End file.
